


Of Flowers And Stones

by Zoteria



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AU, Character Death, Dwarf Courting, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hobbit Courting, Hobbits and Dwarves Culture, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage, No Dragon!No Smaug, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 20:26:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoteria/pseuds/Zoteria
Summary: *In a world were the Dragon never came, Thror still went mad with greed and end up banishing his young Grandchild, Thorin when he defended the Elves in an argument.Alone and banish from Erebor, and after managing to strike a deal and maintain the peace between his people and the Elves, Thorin roam the world without family or kin, finding jobs in human villages but never staying too long. That is until he meet a small wee Hobbit lass and found himself immerse into the lives of Hobbits and a family in particular.Through the years, he had manage to stay away from people and from forming any kind of bond for fear of getting hurt, but now with the young lass constantly following his steps he find himself not minding it so much, that is until the attraction started to form between them. Now he had to fight those feelings or else he could get hurt again.But nothing can stand between the deep love of a Hobbit lass, not even the stubbornness of Dwarves, specially if that young woman is called Bluebell Baggins.**I'm currently searching for a BETAREADER, if anyone is interested please let me know!*





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, this idea was running around for a bit in my mind but I wasn't sure if I should write it, but in the end I consult with the bunny plots and my muse, and we all agreed to give it a shot. I hope you guys like it :'v
> 
> In this AU, Smaug never came to Erebor, so the Dwarves keep living in their Lonely Mountain, however Thror, Thorin's Grandpapa, still went mad, and trow him out.
> 
> Also, there is no One Ring here, because Belladonna Baggins, nee Took destroy it in her adventure with Gandalf and also acquired Sting. Thou there still are Orcs around, unfortunately, but every world need a balance of good and evil, so just please deal with it.
> 
> I've never write of this couple, but I did read a lot of fanfic about them, wherein Bilbo is female and I totally love it! So I try my hand in it, mainly because I didn't have any more stories to read about them, sadly :'v

 

He couldn’t believe it.

This couldn’t be happening.

But it was.

Thorin stood in front of the throne in Erebor, the shock in his face must be reflected in every individual that was attending currently in the Great Hall of the Dwarven kingdom. The cold blue gaze of his once beloved Grandfather like iron on his person, his recent worlds still ringing in his ears and mind, but his heart still unable to believe it at all.

“What?” he couldn’t keep himself from asking again, hope foolishly that his Grandfather would change his decision, but he should have known better.

“Do you wish for me to repeat myself?” the cold and empty expression on his old face resembling the stone they claim to love and feel. But this time it didn’t give any of the present there any comfort, but grief. “Very well then, Thorin son of Thrain, recently named Oakenshield, as of now formerly Crown Prince to the throne of Erebor are proclaim from this day forward exile from Erebor and are no longer the heir”

“Grandfather you can’t do this!” Dis, still a young Dwarrodam but loyal to her old brother, her only brother now, she thought with pain, said, desperate and horrified with that her king and kin was doing.

“Silence!” Thror scream red in the face, his voice carrying over the almost empty hall.

“But you can’t just vanish him from Erebor!” Dis, still wasn’t having it, no, she couldn’t have her only living brother and kin exile from their homeland. Her only family.

“Silence I say! Or you should be joining your brother in exile too!” the king turns his sharp cold gaze for the first time from Thorin to his young grandchild and only girl of the line of Durin in that generation.

“But-” she was going to keep arguing, but incredibly was stopped by her brother.

“Dis, let it be, Nadith” Thorin Durins’ blue eyes didn’t stray from the stranger that was sitting currently in the body of his once love king and kin. When his sister was about to argue more one look from his eyes was enough to shut her up, but the pain in her eyes didn’t abate.

“My King, surely this could be solved in any other way?” Balin, calm and wise, Balin didn’t right know how to avoid this disaster long coming over them, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try, even if he knew that his one long time friend and cousin wouldn’t back out of his decision. “Or at best change a little the decreed?”

“Are you questioning me, Balin? Your rightful King?” Thror demand icily from his most trusted advisor.

“No, my King, I was simply suggesting that the former Crown Prince could be given something for the journey after all he is still your Grandson” was all the old Dwarf could said, if he couldn’t get the king to reconsider sending away Thorin, then at least he could try and get him provision and something of sustenance for the long travel.

Thror curl his lip slightly, but consider his words carefully for a time, a clouded gaze fell over his eyes and everyone in the Throne Room was as still as stone and barely breathing. Balin, turn to look at the others, Dis was standing beside Dwalin his own younger brother who for all instance and purpose look as if someone has gut him with a sharp sword and he hasn’t seen it coming, beside him stood equally dumbfounded Vili son of Dili, who was a childhood friend to his brother and Thorin having grown up, learning to fight and go to war together with his friends.

‘ _How could this have come to pass?_ ’ wonder Balin mournfully, but he knew very well how, he just hasn’t been able to see it coming in time.

All this argument came to be because Thror in what they were now beginning to see was getting down with Dragon-Sickness, an illness that give the holder a greed for gold and madness had decided to go and send his people to reclaim their lost Kingdom of Moria, but at the time it wasn’t that evident.

And so, the Dwarven Army had been put together and in it went, Thrain, Thror only son and heir, Thorin, Vili, Dwalin, and Frerin, the youngest brother of Thorin, and a lot other Dwarves that follow their King commands and march upon the mountain, without knowing that an army of Orcs had got there first, and so they got into battle as soon as they arrive; but it didn’t end well for them. The Orcs were with the Goblins and so the Dwarves were out number and started to get massacred without mercy, it was by then that Thrain face down a pale Orc, the tallest of them all and by far the cruelest, named Azog the Defiler. Unfortunately for Thrain, he wasn’t fast enough for that foe and with a brutal swipe of the sword Azog behead the Crown Prince in front of his family and army to their shocked horror.

Angry beyond reason, Frerin begin the closest to the Orc launch himself into the fray with his older brother screaming for him to stop and Vili and Dwalin shouting to wait, but the young Dwarf didn’t listen too deep in his pain for his father and poorly attempt to kill the Orc but with his inexperience wasn’t prepare and Azog once again claim another life from the line of Durin, trusting his sword once again and this time impaling the young one in the chest and letting him fall to the ground. By this point Thorin was within reach of them but was too late, and again watch helplessly as another of his family fell in front of his eyes.

Grinning with glee the Pale Orc turn to the last one of the line of Durin and didn’t pause in stride and went to attack intending to finishing him off as the other two before him. But Thorin didn’t back down, with the pain and anger running thick in his veins, he confront the monster with his shield and sword, however he too wasn’t strong enough to fight him off, and Dwalin and Vili were still too far away and fighting their own problem to be able to help their friend, and could only watch in horror the battle. In barely a few minutes time Thorin has lost his shield and was in the ground with the beast almost on top of him, knowing that if he didn’t do something he too would be death soon, so grabbing a branch of Oaken that was lying nearby he use it as a shield to protect himself for the assault and at the next moment he lift his sword and with a clean swipe cut off Azog arm off.

Howling with pain the Pale Orc retreat from the Dwarf, taking the attention of the battle to them, and Thorin watch with sick satisfaction as the monster was carry by some of his kin still screeching in pain and cursing about wiping the line of Durin from the earth; from there the battle made a turn form the Dwarves and still keeping the Oaken branch with him as his shield Thorin lead the attack with a mighty scream and won it, but it was at a great cost.

By the time it was over, much of their kin were dead, gravely injured or with some type of wound; they gather their dead and injured warrior and turn back home, with some help from the Elves of the Woodland Realm, that assist them as best as they could and provided them with supplies to last until reach of Erebor, they arrive home, but not as they have wish.

The mountain mourns the loss of their people specially their youngest and their Princes.

Thorin could barely comfort his little sister as it was with his own wounds and pain, and when their mother learns of the fate of one of her sons and husband, she went mad with grief and soon too she died, but of a broken heart; and again, the people of Erebor bury another royal, with heavy heart and much grief. They were on a stage of shock and pain, and yet Thror didn’t appear to be grieving for his lost family and just a bit over a month after what came to be know of the Battle of Azanulbizar, he called his surviving male Grandson to a conference and demanded to know why they haven’t continuing the assault in Khazad-Dum to reclaim what treasure belong to them by birth.

To say that Thorin was speechless was the understatement of the year.

And so, since then it began, the descend of Thror into madness and greed that could only be rivaled by a Dragon.

Furious and in pain that his own kin could asks him that, Thorin argue with the King until they almost came to blows, if it weren’t for Balin it could have gone worse; as it was, they stop talking both Grandson and Grandfather, and they got distanced slowly until every time they see each other it ended in an argument that somehow was about the gold in some twisted way.

It came to be too much for Thorin when in a visit from the Woodland Elves, their ally, the King of the elves Thranduil Oropherion, came to retrieve an order he had given the Dwarves to make a necklace from gemstones of the fines starlight and the King of the Dwarves refuse to relinquish it after taunting him with it. And so, after the shocked and furious Elves have taken leave form Erebor, Thorin turn his Grandfather and King and question him not from the first time in his action, but he didn’t foresee that this time the argument would end different as the others before. “

You give them your word!” Thorin scream furious, even then somewhat shocked that his kin have go back on his word and even taunt the elves, and demand another payment for it; knowing that the Elven King has already pay for the necklace beforehand. “And yet, you refuse them what rightly belong to them!”

Dis, Dwalin, Vili and Balin were too shocked to even utter a word, begin at last present to what Thorin has been trying to tell them all that time, about Thror not begin in his right mind and that something was amiss with his Grandfather.

But by that time, it was too late to do anything.

“I do as I like, I am the King!” Thror bellow standing from his throne red-faced, his cold blue eyes so similar with that of his Grandson boring like hot coals of rage into the younger Dwarf. “You don’t tell me what to do or how to behave insolent child! You know nothing of the world!”

“I know enough to have go to war in your place!” He accuses, reliving the trauma that was that battle, his first one, and if Mahal bid it his only one, and only succeeding in getting even more angry at remembering his Grandfather cold attitude about all the deaths he has cause with his greed, and not even caring for his family demise. “I know more than what you appear to right now!”

And it was this that prompt the King of Erebor to make his groundbreaking decision.

“Then if you know so much about the world, Thorin Oakenshield, and care to defend them so much to even side with an Elf before your kin” Thror snarl curling his lip in disgust, but still looking at his kin with cold eyes. “Then I do you a favor and decree that from this way forward, you are exile from Erebor, so as to be free to be with those you obviously deem more important than your own family and kin” At the sudden silence in the room, the king smirk with satisfaction. “I cast you out, and you are not to place a foot within Erebor or it’s surrounding for as long as I shall live”

 

******Break******

 

“You cannot be serious!” Dis with her long dark hair and Durin’s blue eyes filled with angry tears exclaim, pacing around the pen where they keep their ponies and war goats, in front of her only surviving brother. “Thorin, you can’t let him do this!”

“It is done, Nadith” he said quietly, putting his meager belonging into the bag and tiding it to the saddle of the pony. Sighing he turn to look at his only remaining family. “Dis, the king has decree it, and if I am not out of here by sunrise it would mean my dead”

“Then let us come with you!” Vili spoke with grave voice, his eyes looking pained but his stand firm, all golden hair and light brown eyes.

“Aye, ‘tis will be another adventure we can go into” agreed Dwalin with his typical gruff attitude in place, as if nothing was wrong, but if you knew him well you could detect the pain and alarm in his demeanor.

“No, you can’t and you won’t” Thorin decree quiet but firmly, seen his kin about to argue he stop it with his next world. “I need you all here to take care of Erebor and its people for me”

“But-” Dis, again try to argue.

“No, Dis, listen” he said even more forceful but with kind blue eyes, very similar and yet different from the ones of his Grandfather's. “Thror is getting worse with this sickness, and eventually he will start to stop caring at all for his people and you must be here to temper it as best as you can, or he surely go to war with our neighbors or worse” seeing he got their attention, and they were listening, he continues. “If it happens then our people would suffer for his madness and greed, and then they will be defenseless against any of it, with no other Royal Family here to guide them… so you see, it is best that you all remain”

“I don’t like it” Dis mutter angrily, wiping stray tears from her face furious with the situation.

“You don’t have to like it, Nadith” he said more gently, giving her a hug, and ten tenderly resting his forehead against hers, in the show of affection of the Dwarves. “With me gone, it rests on you to be the light for our people, you are the Heir now” looking at her with brotherly love and some pain he continues, even if his heart was breaking, it was for the best. “I need you to be strong, and do what I can’t for Erebor and its people, can you do that, Crown Princess Dis, Daughter of Thrain?”

“Aye, I can” she whispers brokenly. “But this isn’t goodbye Nadad, we will see each other again, ‘tis I swear to you!”

“So, may it be” Thorin murmur closing his eyes savoring the feeling of the warmth of his sister before parting from her for who knew how long. Then turn to his two best friend who were looking more solemn than ever perhaps, except from the time of the Battle of Moria.

“You don’t need to ask us anything, Thorin, we know” Vili said quietly, feeling as if his family was begin thorn to pieces all over again.

“Aye, we will keep an eye on everything here and protect the Princess and our people until you return” nodded Dwalin grimacing at the prospect of what was coming, and the loss of one of his best friends.

“Where will you go?” Dis could not let go just yet, it was just too soon, too painful.

“To secure help for Erebor if it ever needs it” Thorin said simply. “I may be a disgrace Prince in exile and no longer the heir, but Erebor and its people are still my kin and family, so I will do what it I can to protect it”

Just then, Balin came from one of the secret door hidden around the mountain with another pack in his hands, and a grim expression in his rapidly aging face.

“Here you go laddie as per your request” he said sadly, giving the younger Dwarf the pack. “What will you do with it, thou?” he inquires even thou he already have an idea about what he was planning.

“What I must, and should have been done but didn’t” was Thorin cryptic message that only Balin appear to understand.

Thorin turn around to mount his pony but was promptly stopped by Balin before he could take another step.

“Take this” the old Dwarf said, giving the exile Prince a little pouch.

“What? Balin, no I can’t accept it” Thorin said, realizing it was money, and a good sum that would last for at least three months at best if he spends it carefully. “I already took my share of what Thror permit it, even thou he doesn’t know what it was that I take”

“This is not from the treasure lad, this is something that we put together for you to help you in your travels, even if for a little” he reassures, signaling the other three Dwarves still standing there with graves expressions on their ashen face. “Please take it, so we can be a bit in peace with your leaving” With reluctance Thorin accepted, and with a last look at his family and kin, he turn his pony around and with the heavy pain in his heart, he ride out of the pen, and out of the mountain but not without turning back and have a last sight of his family and friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation Kuzdul-English:  
> Nadith- Little Sister  
> Namad/Nadad- sister/brother


	2. The Woodland Realm and The Elven King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the next chapter! Thank you so much to all that leave kudos and commented my first chapter, you guys are wonderful!  
> I hope this is up to your liking :3
> 
> Declaimer: I own nothing but the plot :v

 

Thorin ride all day and only stop a few hours in the night to let his pony rest and get some sleep himself, even if that wasn’t as successful as he had hope. With every step of the road away from his birth home he felt his heart break a little bit more, but he knew he was doing the right thing even if it has cost him his family and Kingdom; but sacrifices must to be done, this wasn’t an exception.

His new goal now, was to ensure that had Erebor ever be in trouble of some kind, their neighbors would assist in defending not only the mountain but each other and to manage that all three realms must have good relationship, and thou Dale and by consequence Esgaroth were on good terms with Erebor, the same could not be say with the Woodland Realm of Thranduil, the King of the Elves.

Not after the slight of King Thror, at least.

And that was a problem in and of itself, so Thorin has the foresight to bring the only thing that King Thranduil would consider so the Dwarves stay at least in peace, that is if his Grandfather didn’t jeopardize the treaty more after he left, he could only hope that his sister Dis, with the help of the others could manage to abate and do damage control.

He bottled up all his feelings inside, no needing nor wanting all the hurt and anger to get in his way and made him weak and off balance, for he still had a long way to go and much to do, without counting what he would do and where he would go after completing this self-impose mission.

There wasn’t any certainty that the angry Elven King would even want to speak to him, and there was the possibility that he could be imprisoned in his realm, but it was a chance he had to take for the good of his sister, friends and kin.

So Thorin keep up his pace, riding as hard and fast as his pony could handle, bypassing Dale and Esgaroth in four days, hoping but not really believing that he could catch up with the party of Elves the King travel with toward his home in the woods, after all they have horses and a full day ahead of him; but he still didn’t wanted much time to pass for him to simmer in his anger toward all Dwarves, and in the end not consider helping them in the future.

By the time he arrives at the rim of the Woodland Realm it has pass three more days since passing Esgaroth, he was tired, sore and dirty, but still request an audience with the King, that miraculously was granted. So Thorin was lead inside the palace, leaving his pony with the two Elves at the entrance, but taking a bag with him to meet the King; neither of the escort not Thorin talked in all the time that it took them to reach the platform in the middle of this foreign place, and then finally he was in front of the throne and there, sitting all majestic and indifferently cold, was Thranduil, his pale blue eyes and long straight platinum golden hair as fair as ever, with rich robes covering his body.

“Ah, Crown Prince Thorin” the velvety voice of the cold Elf carries calmly over to the tired young Dwarf, who bow in difference and respect to the King, with a serious expression.

“My lord Thranduil, it is well to see you in good health” Thorin wasn’t usually given to niceties and even tho he wasn’t fond of elves in general, he didn’t particularly hate them as other of his race did. But now, he had to trade carefully or face unpleasantness.

“Oh? Indeed?” Thranduil narrow his eyes at the Dwarf, curious despise his fury at the happenings merely a week ago in the realm of Erebor. “And to what do I own the pleasure of having you into my halls? Did your treacherous Grandfather send you to pacify me perhaps? Or did he wanted something else in his greed for more gold?” his tone turn derisive, curling his lip slightly his cold eyes boring into the smaller begin.

Thorin had to bit back a rude response, partly because it would do him no good to get the Elf even more angry specially with him, and partly because he wasn’t necessarily wrong in his assumption.

Even if that stung a bit.

“No, he didn’t send me” he pause slightly, hesitance for a bit that the King rapidly saw before he could mask his expression into something smooth and unbothered. “He does not know I am here”

Puzzle Thranduil incline his head to the right, relaxing a bit in his throne while keeping his attention in the young Dwarf in front of him, because he could tell the he was being thoughtful in Thror not knowing that his Grandson was in his realm, much less talking to the elf that he had scorn merely days ago.

“I ask again, Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror, why are you here?” he demanded, losing his patience with him fast, but willing to listen if just to amuse himself before throwing the impertinent Dwarf in prison for the slight that his King have done to his person.

“I came to give you this” Thorin, show the box that was inside the bag, and approach cautiously, before being stopped by the guard, a tall blond that resemble the King of the Elves, and a redhead she-elf.

Thranduil give order that his son, Legolas, grabbed the box and to bring it to him, once in his hand, he opened slowly but then stop shot in shock of what was inside it. Glittering white gems of starlight were staring at him in the face, the same gems that were denied to him by the Dwarven King Under the Mountain.

‘ _What was the game in this?_ ’ he pondered, examining the necklace, but finding it was not imitation but the real thing. Turning his curious gaze to the Dwarf, he wondered why would he do something like this, against his own King obvious wishes; because it had been obvious that the young Prince was almost as angry as he had been when Thror refuse to give the gems to the Elves.

“Why do you give it to me, when your own King refuse to?” He asks, trying to understand the situation, knowing in all his long years that something must have happen for the Dwarf to come into his kingdom and defy his own kin for the sake of a stranger, even if this one was an ally or not.

“Because us Dwarves are honor bound, no matter what Thror has done or say, this is yours and as such should be given to its rightful owner” Thorin sigh, feeling more tired than in all his short thirty years; what with everything that has happen in a short number of months it wasn’t for less. “It was wrong to deny you, and I just hope that you don’t judge my people too hard for the mistake made by an old King who is blind by greed and lust for gold… you have my apologies, for what it worth” it was hard to do, but he wouldn't let his pride ruin this. 

Thranduil look at him for a long time, before his gaze softening the bares hint, nodding to Legolas to take the box away, before turning to the young Prince in front of him.

“What do you want in exchange for this?” he wonders aloud, because nothing was ever done without a hidden purpose in his experience.

“I only ask that if ever Erebor is in need of aid you answer the call and do not let them on their own” Thorin said with calm keeping his gaze in the King of the Woodland realm, determined to see an ally secure to help in the foreseeable future.

There was a heavy pause, in which the King appears to consider this request, before nodding his head regally.

“Your apology is accepted, consider it done”

 

******Break******

 

Thorin look into the forest behind him, thinking of what had happen two weeks ago, starting with his banishment, the riding to the Woodland Realm, his talk with the King of the Elves, and subsequent agreement to aid his people if needed in the future. Now he hadn’t thought that he would be offered to stay a few days with the Elves, but it had happened, and not wanting to be rude or angering his host he agreed, just for the sake of being polite and because he was tired and in need of a good rest before going on his way.

To his surprise, a few days in his stay with them, news arrive to the kingdom of the Elves of his banishment, and he has fear that the King would imprison him or something of the like, because with Elves one never knew their reaction to anything, much less with an individual as complex as Thranduil. To his shock, the King didn’t do anything of the like, merely look at him when he inform him about the news and told him that he had guess as much or something of the like, and that Thorin was still welcome in his realm as long as he didn’t make trouble or harm anyone during his stay.

In the time he spends with the Elves he learns to respect them a bit more, even to reach an understanding of sort with their King even tho he couldn’t call them best friends or anything, but it was something tentative and worth to be pursue, however it was a shame that he was no longer part of Erebor to help relationship between the two races.

So, when the time came for him to go, the Elves restock him of food and supplies, and a guide through the forest so he did not lose his way while passing with his pony and for added protection; just before he left the halls of the King, he came to him with an olive branch of sort, promising without much words to send word from time to time to inform him of any information of importance in the happenings of Erebor that reach his realm.

He took it with grace and gratitude and appreciated more than he let know but he had a feeling that the Elven King knew but didn’t say anything.

And so, Thorin look one last time at the forest, turning to the front he spurred on his pony with all the grace and dignity of an exile Prince of Erebor and march into the unknown that have become his life.

Not knowing what his life would turn up to be like.

 

******Break******

 

He traveled far and wide for many years, taking jobs in the human villages in the way working as a blacksmith repairing and forging for a living, so he could eat; he didn’t stay more than a few years in a single place, moving from one site to another, and meeting a variety of people, some good and some bad, but mostly he only live as a nomad Dwarf that keep mostly to himself even with his own kin.

He work and learn lessons of the nature of mankind, that not everyone was honest and honorable, but mostly they try to lie and cheat, and other simply try to undervalue his skills so they have a reason to not pay him what his work was worth, but he learn fast and well, and never repeat his initial mistakes; eventually Thorin learn to work with the humans and very rarely with one or two Elves that he encounter from time to time.

Many season pass him by, and eventually he got accustom to living like a nomad without family to rely on, what keep him moving was the memory of his family, the one he hasn’t seen in one hundred and twenty-two years; and yet he still got ravens from Thranduil from time to time informing him of happenings within Erebor, like the marriage of his only sister to one of his best friends, Vili, and the subsequent birth of her two children, Fili and Kili, his own nephew whom he has never meet but knew about.

When he found out about it, he sent a raven to Thranduil to give to Dis, offering congratulations and best wishes, one of the two letter he had ever send since being exile from Erebor so long ago; the other being when she marry. It had hurt when he finds out that he missed her only sister wedding, and other important things in her life but knew it couldn’t be helped.

The situation wasn’t ideal, far from it but it was what it was.

But it didn’t make it any less painful.

Not at all.

Sighing Thorin look at the item in his hands, looking at it from all sides to make sure it was at his standards, before putting it in the pile were the other thing he had repair were stoked for picking up the next morning. He was about to close the forge when a tall figure stopped by his side.

“Well, well if it isn’t Thorin Oakenshield himself” an amused voice said, the person it belongs to was propped against a tall stick of wood and possess a pointy hat.

A very familiar pointy hat.

“Tharkun” Thorin grunt as a form of greeting the old Grey Wizard, finishing closing before turning to walk to Inn he was staying in. “To what do I own the unfortunate pleasure of meeting you again?” he asked mildly with much disinterest.

He was tired after a long day at work after all.

Thorin still could remember when he first meet the strange old Wizard, it was early on his nomad days, a little far from the Woods of Thranduil, where he found the wandering Istari with his other companion, the one named Radagast The Brown, another wizard and a strange one at that; they have made camp together no matter how reluctant he had been at the time and from there well, Gandalf as he present himself kind of stuck with him all the way to his first settlement of humans, and from there well the old man just have come and go during all his time in exile from Erebor, every few couple of years he came around from wherever Thorin has settle in, and just visit or manage to drag him into things he had little control over.

“Now, now you don’t have to be a grouch, every time we meet” Gandalf mutter quiet happily walking beside his friend.

“Gandalf, every time you are near usually problem arouse and I end up being chase around by Orcs, Goblins or any sort of troubles you manage to stir with a foe” he said dryly, turning his intense blue eyes to the old and tall Istari. “I always most often than not end up with a new scar, thanks to you”

“Why, I never been more insulted in my life” the Wizard grunt, but his voice was not angry merely amuse. In his stormy grey-blue eyes was a twinkle that didn’t sit well with his companion. “And, I was merely coming to visit and to help in your situation, how poor of you to turn me away without even listening to what I have to say”

“What situation?” Thorin ask before he could stop himself, because he has just walk into the wizard trap without thinking. “No, you know what? I don’t want to know” he tried to said, but it was already too late.

“Well, I’m talking about your next destination of course” Gandalf commented, entering the Inn and taking a table in a corner, where both could talk without much interruption, even if his companion was as reluctant to follow him as a pig to slaughter; once the Dwarf was seated not without grumbling a bit, he continued rather cheerfully if he does say so himself. “You told me last time I visit, more or les nine months ago that you were getting tire of this village and were thinking where to go once you left this place, and so I have come to tell you that I know of a place that would benefit of your talent and be perfect for your next stay”

He stares at the old man for a bit, before answering, with a straight expression.

“No, thank you”

“But you don’t even know where it is or how delightful the place is for you to be” He protested smoking his pipe after having order his dinner.

“I don’t need to know, because I’m not going… last time I heed your advice I end up running from a rabid pack of wild Wargs into a hole that took us to Rivendell and to the Elves, Gandalf” his deadpan voice and furrowed frown didn’t let doubts of his trust in the Istari in front of him escape. “I keep wondering if your trying to kill me, but then you wouldn’t gain anything from it so it just left me with the only option that you just attract problems and troubles like a moth to a flame. Let’s face it, you are trouble walking unchecked”

“That was just one time” seen his raised eyebrows, Gandalf grunt a bit annoyed. “Fine a few times, but this is different I promise; besides you need to move on from this settlement you yourself told me it was time, and this place I’m talking about need a blacksmith, you’ll do wonderfully, I’m sure”

“No, and this is my final answer” Thorin decree sternly before digging into his own food.

While it was true that he was tired of living in this village, not that they hadn’t been welcoming but he was feeling like moving on again, since Erebor he didn’t want to grow attached to anything or anyone, of course that made for a lonely life but he prefer it that way. He made friendly neighbors and get along with the people that he stay with be it at an Inn or in a spare bedroom of someone, and very rarely in his life in exile had he lay with a woman; not for lack of willing females because surprisingly some human woman had shown interest in bedding a Dwarf, but because he didn’t feel like giving them any hope for more than just a night of passion, and some did wanted something serious, but he couldn’t not after losing so much in his life.

Getting attached was the most effective way to get hurt, and he was tired of hurting.

And he didn’t feel the call of his One in all those years.

So, he just enjoyed the short amount of time that his friend Istari spend with him that night, talking of all the things they have seen across the world and of old friends, as it ends up being that Thorin formed again another strange bond with another Elf, this time the Lord of Imladris, Elrond, and his three children, Elrohir, Elladan y Arwen.

He was sure to be the only Dwarf in a very long time to ever befriend an Elf, and garner respect that went both ways. In the end, Gandalf spend three days in the village and then he prepared to depart but not without nagging him again about the situation of his visit one last time.

By the next morning the Wizard was long gone, but not without leaving a note with the direction of how to get to the new village and wishing him luck in his travels. Obviously, the old man was as crazy a crack pot thinking that he actually would take his suggestion and go there what with the record of misfortune that the Istari carried around in his affairs.

And yet the notion keep popping up on his mind from time to time during the next two days, until he just tidy his business where he had lived for close to sixteen years the longest he had ever stay in one place since his home, and then gather all his meager belongings into his new pony, and so, when two weeks later he found himself on the road to this new village called, Bree, well… he only thought that perhaps Gandalf wasn’t the only insane, because obviously this couldn’t end well for him.

And yet, he couldn’t deny the light flip that his stomach did when presented with a new place to explore.

He defines had taken leave of his senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I hope you have enjoy it and to leave me more kudos and your opinion of this chapter!  
> BTW, I will try to update every week, mostly Saturday, but I can't for some reason I let you guys know!
> 
> Translation:  
> Tharkun - Is the way that Dwarves call Gandalf, It is also interpreted 'staff-man'


	3. A Warm Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Here is the next chapter... and first I would like to say that I'm glad to see the good response to my story, and thank you to all that had taken the time to comment and, those who left kudos and add follow, it means a lot to me. Well anyway I hope you guys this one!
> 
> I hope you like this one as much as the other, and comment if you like it or not and let me know your opinion.
> 
> BTW! I'm looking for a Betareader if anyone is interest please send me a PM or put in on a review! Thank you!
> 
> DECLAIMER: I own nothing, that would be Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

The village was more or less as Gandalf has told it, the directions to get there however wasn't so explicit, and so he ended up lost on his way many times before somehow ending up in Rivendell again.

By the time he didn't knew he was heading toward Imladris until a few days into his new route, and the strangely familiar's valleys surrounding him, he got suspicious and started paying more attention and remembering what he could of that fateful trip where the Wargs were practically biting their arse that time, but he honestly could only remember running for his life besides Gandalf and wondering how in Mahal's name had he ended up in that situation, there was no time to sit idle and look at the surrounding for more than a place to hide.

Now however the place looked kind of familiar and he just went along with his gut feeling and rode his pony to a tall outcrop of rocks that confirmed his suspicion, and the later horn that sound and the horses that were rapidly getting nearer and nearer him were almost enough confirmation that he indeed was near the settlement of Elves. He grabbed his sword, Orcrist, an Elven sword of all things with its companion, a little letter opener that were strapped to his hip and prepare for whatever was coming, hoping that it wasn't troubles and ironically preferring it be Elves.

His body was tense with contained energy, it was sometime since he had been in any kind of battle or situation that require the use of his sword, the one he and Gandalf had found in a Troll hoard a few years ago when trespassing near these lands, after disposing with great difficulties of the Trolls and then running into the Wargs; that however didn't mean he didn't train at every chance he got to stay in apt form ready for any kind of troubles, after all he was still a warrior and no one was going to get him by surprise in a weakened state.

His deep icy blue eyes scanned the vast plains, cataloguing the perfect places to hide and where it was better for fighting any foe if needed be, but it was all for naught because far in the distance he saw a few riders coming his way and by the banners they carried it was plain to see the symbol of the house of Healing.

Relaxing slightly, he lowered his sword a bit until the raiders were upon him, surrounding him with their taller mounts going in circles around him until they stopped, and a tall gracile Elf approached the lone traveler, he was porting armor that shine in the sun, his long dark hair and light blue eyes looking at him serenely with a circle of silver around his head letting anyone know of his status, before a light chuckle was heard, as he spoke.

"What business does Thorin, son of Thrain, so of Thror have in the lands near Imladris?" he asked sitting tall in his black horse.

"I'm afraid, that this all would be Tharkun fault, My Lord Elrond" Thorin snorted a bit sourly thinking about the Wizard. "He is really bad at giving directions, unfortunately"

"Or you following them" Elrond added with good humor, that the Dwarf took with good grace. "I have it in good authority that you tend to get lost with the easiest of directions"

"Oh, Gandalf is going to get it next time we meet" he mutters sourly, starting to follow his new companions back to the Elven home. He was weary and a warm food and a soft bed would do marvelous for his mood and body.

"Oh, I never said it was Mithrandir" his eyes met those of Thorin, clearly amuse by all the situation.

"You didn't have to" was all that the Dwarf needed to said, both knew that the Istari was the only one that could have known that piece of information about him.

They kept quiet until they reached and cross the bridge into the halls of the Elves, dismounting with everyone else, one of the Elves there took his pony and got him away to be cleaned and tended, while the Lord of the place motion the Dwarf to follow him into his grand home.

"It's been a long time since last I saw you, Prince Thorin" Elrond commented kindly, walking with his guest toward the suits that they use for visits, usually those being Mithrandir or Estel, when coming back from his training with the Rangers of the North.

Thorin startled a bit when his title was used, it had been far too many years since anyone refer to him with that kind of respect and deference, because to the humans he just was Thorin the Blacksmith, the nomad Dwarf who mostly kept to himself but did a good job. He couldn't decide if he like being called like that or not, after all it did remind him of lost times.

"A few years given or taken to my account, My Lord Elrond" Thorin said, walking beside the Elven Lord and talking like old friends would do after a long period of time away; If his Grandfather had seen him like that it would had probably cause him a heart attack from the rage of seeing a Dwaf talking to an Elf without a spat or war going on.

"Is good to see you well, even if this was not a planned trip for a visit" commented the Elf, stopping briefly in the halls to look curiously at his guest. "Where were you heading to if I may ask? Maybe I can be of more assistant than Mithrandir was with directions"

"You may, yes" Thorin stood with his hands clasped behind the back, in a natural pose that royalty adopted, something that he didn't thought to do, it was just one of those things that was drilled in his head since little and to adopt in presence of someone of importance; he wasn't even aware he was doing it. "I was heading to a village called Bree, were I had hope to stay for a while, Gandalf assure me it was a good place and they needed a Blacksmith and so I went on my way to get there, but as you can clearly see I got lost and ended up here in your home"

"Ah, I see" here Elrond smile lightly starting to walk again, nodding along. "Yes, I appear to be able to assist you in this, for you see Bree is not terribly far from here, and they indeed are in need of a Blacksmith for their last one die of old age and have as of yet to find a new replacement"

"So, the old man was right, then" Thorin sigh, relaxing a bit in the halls of healing, no other place had that effect on people as far as he knew, and his company wasn't so bad, all the years on the roads and interacting with many different races had teach him tolerance and respect for others that by staying in Erebor would not have archive, not even tending to relationships between Dale and Greenwoods. "I would be in your debt if you could point me in the right direction, My Lord when the time came for me to leave"

"Yes, that would not be a problem, but come let's refresh up first and then we'll eat and talk more about this new trip that you're on" The Elf Lord stopped on a double door and left his guest with the intention of seeing him again at a later time in the Dinning Hall, with a nod he turn around and went to do the same.

 

******Break******

 

Thorin stay in The Valley of Imladris better known as Rivendell was pleasant, even if it was for only a week's time, it did wonders for his psych and health, even if he didn't eat as much meat as he would have like, knowing that the Elves of Rivendell weren't as fond of it as their counterpart from the Woodland Realm, it was all worth it having gotten lost.

And now with renew energy, well rested and with new supplies on his back, he turned to look at his host and dare he said it, Dwarf-friend, and incline his head to him, in a sign of respect.

"My Lord Elrond it was good to see you again, may the Valar bless you with health and that the sun always shines upon your people" Thorin said, remembering the last time that they were there the Wizard had said it, in a kind goodbye.

"And to you my friend" The Elf Lord nodded smiling kindly. "I hope that the next time you visit isn't so long from now, and if you're ever in need of help do not hesitate to send a raven, and I will answer" he added with serious intent, it wasn't everyday now that Dwarves and Elves had a good relationship, and that could be a good time to start repairing the rift between the races once and for all.

"I'll endeavor the do so My Lord" and with that, he mounted his horse and with a last nod to the Elf he turned around and went on his way, with an escort of two Elven warriors that would guide him through the plains until neared Bree.

 

******Break******

 

Belladonna Baggins nee Took smiled contently and very fondly at her little daughter antics.

"Mama! Mama!" Bluebell Baggins was running around the garden with a wood toy sword in her little hand, swinging it around like it was a real weapon, her wild brown curls in disarray tumble down her back without order and getting in her face, obscuring her beautiful honey brown eyes. "Look, I'm gonna kill a Dragon with me sword!"

"I see, my dear" Bella nodded seriously or as serious as she could with her Fauntling preposterous claim of felling a Dragon could be. "Be sure to come back for Luncheon, or else you'll get hungry and could not defeat the ferocious Dragon"

"I will" Bell said, and then bolt from the garden filled with different flowers and run to go play elsewhere, leaving a chuckling mother behind.

"You should not encourage her like that my dear, or else the other children would not want to play with her anymore, not even the Tooks" Bungo Baggins appeared at the side of his wife with a book in his hand and looking where his child had gone.

"Nonsense, she will be fine, besides life has to be lived and enjoyed at it fullest, I will not damper her spirit with conventionalism of what a proper Faunt should be" She said with stubbornness, with a hard will of iron that she had acquire a few years ago when she went into an adventure with her long-time friend Gandalf the Grey.

But that was something she did not talk or like to think about, ever.

"I hope you are right, and that in the future that doesn't affect her life here in Hobbiton, but knowing my little flower, she would probably like to go and have an adventure for real when she is older" Bungo said in a fond voice, tho he really didn't know what he would do if it did come to pass. He wasn't one for going out of the Shire, not like his darling wife.

"That remind me, I still plan on going to Bree next week. I heard about this new blacksmith arrival a few months ago, one of my cousins told me that his work was good and the old pans from my Great-grandmother are in need of repair but the blacksmith in Michel Delvin says he couldn't do it, so I plan to see if this one can" Belladonna stood from the bench and walked to her husband giving him a kiss, before smiling brightly with mischievous eyes. "And I plan to take her with me to have her first share of adventure"

"What?!" The male Hobbit spluttered surprised and a bit worry, following his spouse inside the house traying to deter her from that crazy idea. "She is too little for a trip like this, you can't be serious! It's not safe!"

"Oh, but I am, you are welcome to come if you think it would be safest for Bluebell" she said lightly but with an iron glove resolve, her eyes narrowed on him. "I know the wild Bungo, and the dangers of the outside world more than anyone here in The Shire, so I will be able to protect my only child, even if you don't think me capable of it" and with that she turns around and went into the kitchen with her head held high.

Bungo groaned looking up like trying to ask for patience, his wife could be the sweetest person alive of Arda, but when angered it was something to fear; it had always been like that since he could remember, they had grown up together like all Faunt in Hobbiton did and she was always different from the rest, more adventurous and daring than even the others Tooks. And so, when she reached the majority of age no-one was surprised when she announced that she would go on an adventure and there she went, incredibly with Gandalf the Grey, the famous Wizard that was a family friend from her father the Twenty-Sixth Thain of the Shire, Gerontius Took, who was more known in the Shire as the one to perform firework tricks in the events he assisted, mostly the Thains midsummer-eve parties.

But after she came back from her travels with the Wizard, Belladonna was different somehow, changed from the all times happy and free spirit to a glum looking Hobbit lass; many were shock with the abrupt changed and when she didn't socialize for a time, or even smiled many were worried. He was among them, having always had a soft spot for the wildest child of the Thain, Bungo endeavored to bring back the joy and easy laughter that she appeared to have lost in her travels.

And with a lot of effort and time, he managed somehow to bring about her old self with painstakingly slowness but it was there, and if in the middle of it he ended up completely and irrevocably in love with her and she him, well it was something that couldn't be avoided.

She never told him what exactly had happen not even when they marry after he build Bag-End but he gathered it was bad and if the scar she had in her shoulder says anything it was that Belladonna had learned a lot of lessons and danger was one of them. He knew she could wield a bow and was adept at skinning and preserving the fur of what she hunted in the forest, but above all it was that she knew how to protect herself, and in it how to defend their child.

Sighing, defeated he grumbled unhappily until standing in front of the kitchen with his furious wife putting together food for the Luncheon.

"Bella, I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't protect our flower, just that… she so young and it could be hard to control her in the road or around the big folk of Bree, she is a handful after all" he added looking miserable with his ladylove angry with him, she was his life and without her he could not exist.

"She is our daughter not a pet, Bluebell understand when we talk to her and she would do as we told her because she is still our bright child" she still was irritated with her beloved husband but even she knew he did have a point, it irked her to no end that he could imply anything else. "She is smart, not stupid"

"I know, I know" groaning for a second time, Bungo sigh before sitting in the chair looking at her with resignation and affection. "I obviously can't win this argument, so I'll just have to concede to you, and well… what do I need for this trip?" he inquired smiling somewhat reluctantly, he wasn't about to let his wife and daughter go into a trip this long without him, he would die of sadness without his flower happy chatter or his love warm presence around Bag-End.

Even if the thought of traveling leaved him feeling quite queasy.

With a happy squeal Belladonna jumped to her husband and kiss him until they were both out of breath.

"Bell will love this! She will be so exited" she said laughing before getting up to continue preparing the food.

Bungo was sure of it, if he knew his little flower a surely as he did, she would be beside herself; and she was, when Bluebell came back from her supposed hunt to kill a Dragon, all dirty and winded with some scratches here and there. Her scream of delight was heard all over Bag-End after she found out and was very difficult to put her to sleep that night, but in the end, she went to sleep with a big smile in her pretty face.

By the time the day of their trip arrived they were prepared and their child was vibrating with excitement barely able to stay in one place for more than two second, but they both were clear that she under any circumstances were not to separate from their side, at all or they would turn around and not went traveling, but Bluebell wanted to go so badly that she agreed without thinking about it much.

And so, off they went.

In the way to Bree, when Belladonna was busy washing the dishes in the river bend near their camp, Bungo took this time to talk quietly to his daughter, and told her about what he would get his wife for their approaching wedding anniversary.

"It would be so pretty Papa! So pretty!" Bell gushed jumping in her father lap, all bright eyes and pink cheeks. "Mama would love her new cloak! I'm sure!"

"Do you think so, my dear?" Bungo chuckle bemusedly at his child, she was a lovely Faunt if a little wild and energetic.

"Yes! Yes!" smiling brightly, she hugged him around the neck with as much force as a young child could, which wasn't much at all.

"Then I'm glad" he nodded proudly, thinking about the fabric he would buy from the merchant in Bree to commission the cloak to be made for next month, he knew inside that his wife would loved it, being that her old one was fraying around the edges and was too weathered to be of much used, but now knowing that his Faunt liked the idea, only made him wanted to do it more.

When Belladonna came from finishing the chores she looked at them with narrowed suspicious eyes, seen as both husband and child wore matching secretive grins, but seen as neither disclosed anything, she just shrugged it off and went on to pack to continue the journey.

Even thou the rest of the long and tired travel went smoothly when they arrive to Bree, Bungo wasn't feeling all that great having not travel that far in his life he was too bone-weary to do much more than eat, wash himself and lay down in the room at the Inn and sleep in a soft surface that he missed in the eight days of travel on the road. Belladonna and Bluebell in the other hand eat their dinner downstairs after washing and then talked a bit with some travelers that were staying at the Prancing Pony before they went to bed themselves.

Unfortunately, the next day Bungo wasn't feeling all that good and opted to stay indoors instead of going to explored the village of Bree with his family, and so they both went for a walk and to see stalls of food and clothes, even though nothing they saw would fit them seen as it was made for humans and all; when passing by a few buildings neared the Inn Bell turned to see something that called to her attention.

"Mama what's that?" she inquired curiously pointing at the building, big eyes wide after seeing the big folk village and it's wonder.

"Ah, that is the forge, were the blacksmith do his work with metals and other things to create or repair trinkets" at the wide-eyed wonder in her child face, she laughed. "It's very, very hot there, so the door is always open and tomorrow I will go there to see if they can repair a pair of pans for me after all, that is why we came to Bree"

Even after seeing other stalls and asking about other building and such, Bell mind keep wandering to the forges, and slowly an idea form itself in her infant mind that with delight she thought would be wonderful to carry out with some help from her father, and so she keep smiling the rest of the day.

Sadly, Bungo had gone down with a slight fever the very next day and so, Belladonna deem it right to leaved her daughter with her father at the Inn and do her business around Bree beside going to get some medicine to give to her husband so he could get better sooner; after confirming with her tired and slightly sick beloved of her plans, she turn to go but not before telling her child to be a good girl and do as her father says.

Bluebell was disheartened by her father's sickness, knowing it wasn't more than tiredness that provoked it as her mother told her, she turned to think about her plan and how to archive it, after playing around the room for a while and getting bored.

"Papa? Are you awake?" Bell asked sitting beside him at the bed, looking at him intently.

Bungo only grumbled tiredly, feeling horrible and achy all over.

"Papa? I just wanted to ask if I could go down the forge-thing Mama shown me yesterday to make a petition to the man working there, for Mamas gift you see" She smiled excitedly, shaking her father a bit to wake him up so he could gived his permission; after all in The Shire she could go to their neighbors house alone from time to time and it was more or less the same distance she thought. "Can I? Can I? Pretty please?" she begged of him.

"Sure, my little flower, just be careful and come back soon" Bungo said a bit disoriented without opening his eyes feeling too tired and hot to move much around, if he had he would had realized that they were not in Hobbiton and the possible danger that could be for a Faunt to go out alone in a village of men.

"Yay! Love you Papa!" she squealed giving him a kiss in his hot cheek before bolting to her things and grabbing a pouch of money her parents had given her to buy treats, some cookies and her always trusty wood toy sword that she strapped in her hip with a knitted cord her mother had made for her. "I be back soon!" and with that said she turned around and walked out the door.

Bluebell had always been an outgoing child, happy and adventurous probably passed down from her mother family the Tooks, who people tell was the wildest of all Hobbits family, and so she had never been intimidated by anyone except maybe by the parents of her cousin Lobellia, who tended to look at her in a funny way and look scarier than a Dragon in her childish opinion; but in this new place of big folks she just felt better having her parents near, it was trilling but scary at the same time because she was so small.

With more courage than she should probably have, she descended the big stairs and run between the tables of the Inn toward the door, passing unseen by all present because of her short little frame and silent feet's; with the energy and elation of any child who's been used to run in a secure environment the wild street of Bree was overwhelming and frightful. She stopped a little way away from the Inn feeling unsure as to where the forge was but remembering vaguely the way her little feet's carry her to the destination, but not without troubles.

Being so small the big folk didn't saw her at all and ended up bumping into the child and sending her to the floor more than once or stepped on her furry feet constantly; by the time she reached what she thought was the forge Bell wasn't so sure about her idea anymore, she wanted her mother or father and to be tucked in a warm room with food, but the thought of the gift for her mothers gived her little heart courage and with a burst of speed she ran to the building not seen the person in her way until it was too late.

 

******Break******

 

Thorin's timed in Bree short as it was, had seen it plentiful of orders from all the humans living there and those travelers passing by, and by extend he was getting a good amount of money and gaining reputation for his well-made goods and trinkets.

When he had arrived at the town asking for the forge and to get the job at first, they weren't sure if hiring him was a good idea, but once he shown them his abilities and the finished pans and horseshoe he made they agree to a trial period to see how it went; then three months later he was being offered a permanent stay in Bree as the new and official Blacksmith and had being receiving orders from all over the village.

His quarters there were the old annex building of the forge that have a small living room, bathroom and bedroom but it served its purpose and he didn't had to share or go through halls to get to his humble abode, he even had a little pen to leaved his pony, all in all it was a good deal, and the people were welcoming and friendly, compare to other places he had lived over the years.

For once, Gandalf appeared to had been right, so far at least.

One day five months after moving into Bree, he was coming back from a break from having finished working nonstop in a difficult order of twenty horseshoe that needed to be done by that week when something unusual occurred. After cooling down a bit from the hot air of the forge he turned around to go back inside when something crashed into his leg with enough force to startled him from his deep thought about the wandering Wizard.

Turning to looked at whatever it was that had crashed into him, he blinked in confused bewilderment seen a little person getting up from the floor and looking at him with big wide honey brown eyes. They stared at each other in silence with utmost curiosity until the creature that he understood a bit later was a child, looked into the building and wailed in distress.

"It's gone! It's gone! Where did he go?" Bell cried in angst, running into the hot building trying to see if the man that worked there was present but nobody was inside. "Mama said it was here! Where did he went?" she mumbled in confused disappointment.

Thorin keep looking with utter confusion at what could only be a Hobbit child, and a lass no less, a petite thing no taller than his knee while she looked all around his forge muttering all the time about not finding something. Even when Lord Elrond had informed him of the people he would encounter in the settlement of Bree, and he himself had seen a few Hobbits since living there he never in his wildest dreams could had know that he would meet a little Hobbit child.

The Hobbits he had meet were a strange bunch, larger feet than any race he had ever meet, pointy ears like an Elf, and incredibly, they were even smaller then Dwarves with an apparent love for food and flowers, or that was the impression he got from the few that had come into Bree searching for his expertise.

Now wanting to know what this little lass was doing in the forge, he approached slowly, trying not to scared her into running or she might get hurt.

"Hey, little lass" Even to his own ears he sounded awkward and strange, but nobody could blame him, he had never been around children in general for more than just passing or watching them play from afar in the places he had lived, but those were human children, this was a Hobbit, even Dwarven children were bigger and stockier. "What are you searching for, if I may ask?"

Bell stopped her frantic search and turned slowly to the stranger standing a little way away from her, blinking tears of despair she observed him a little bit closer, noting he wasn't as tall as the other big folks and in true only appear to be a little taller than her own parents.

Her curiosity was picked.

"Are you a small man or a hairy tall Hobbit?" she wondered aloud walking hurriedly toward him, looking curiously at his facial hair with wide eyes. "You have hair in your cheeks! And you wear shoes, why are you wearing it thought? Aren't your feet sturdy enough?" the questions were fired in rapid succession, forgotten were her initial reason to be there.

Thorin could barely keep up with her questions, finding it funny and disconcerting at the same time, he idly wondered where her parents were and why she was alone in a village of humans; frowning at these thoughts with disapproval, after all children were few and far between Dwarves and girls were even rare to them so they tend to protect them much more than any other. So, with that in mind, he crouches in front of her so as to appear less intimidating to her smaller form, she was so tiny and delicate with wild curls of brown hair and wide innocent honey brown eyes.

"No, I'm no Hobbit nor Human, little lass, I am a Dwarf" he said in a soft voice, his deep Durin blue eyes that often were compare to blue topaz, not leaving hers. "We don't have feet as sturdy as your race or are as tall as men or Elf"

Bell look at him pondering his words with a childish frown on her cute face, before nodding with a big smile that appear to brighten the place with its radiance and leaved him blind for a moment, before he remembered his first inquiry.

"Where are your parents, little one? And why are you alone in here?" he questions feeling protective of the child in front of him. Why would anyone leaved unsupervised such an enchanting lass to roam around on her own? It was simply beyond his compression.

Females should be protected and cared for.

"Mama is doing business in town, and Papa is sleeping 'cause he is sick" Bell told him quiet seriously, before continuing a bit downtrodden. "I came to the forge to put a petition for an item, but the man Mama told me work here is not, well, here anymore" her shoulders slumped at this realization, her once bright face acquiring a sad looked. "Papa let me came so I would ask him to make a gift for Mama because she is the best Mama in the world and I wanted to give her something special"

Thorin feel a little touched by this child of wild curls and her open face of innocence, it was something he hasn't felt since his own sister was a wee babe in his Mother arms. Feeling in the need to appease her sadness like he had once done for Dis so long ago, he spoked.

"Well you are wrong little gem, because the blacksmith is here" he smiled a little, just a small twitch of his lips at seen her looked around wildly.

"Where? Where is he?" she asked, wide eye with confusion.

"Well you are looking at him, lassie" He pointed at himself with some irony that she didn't catch.

With a squeal of delight for having found the person she was looking for Bell danced around the strange looking Dwarf, too hyper and happy to do much else than celebrate. Grinning for what felt like the first time since Erebor, he observed the display with fondness before interrupting her little dance.

"So, tell me what was it that you wanted made for your Mother, little lass?" he asked, standing from his crouched position and looking at her with curiosity.

"I want Mama to have a clap for her new cloak that Papa is going to make her" she said with a smile, before stopping her dancing and extending her arms to him, jumping a bit expecting to be picked up.

Perplex by this action, Thorin slowly took her in his arms being mindful of his strength and holding her small and warm body against him, surprised by the amount of trust that she was displaying to a total stranger, and then walking toward his working table where he kept the drawings and plans for object to forged.

"Do you have anything in mind then?" he didn't know why he was following with the conversation instead of returning her to their parents and giving them an earful for letting their child so unprotected. But he was finding that he enjoyed her company.

"Wood, and in the form of a flower" Bell nodded, taking the little bag out of the pockets of her skirt hand it to him with a proud look on her pretty face. "I got money to pay for it and I brought some cookies… we can share" she added after a moment of looking at him.

Thorin bit his lip to not laugh aloud or else she may feel offended, taking the bag offered and by its weight determine that it wasn't enough to pay for the clap she wanted made, but not wanting to disappoint the little lassie, he just nodded and keep playing along. Depositing the child in a side of the table he sat down and took some paper and a quill before starting to draw the flowery clap with the child chattering away to her hearts content, passing a peaceful time together.

"It so pretty, Master Dwarf! Can you really make it?" Bell questioned, swinging her legs around wide eyes glue to him n wondered awed.

"I can little lass, but do you have any wood for me to use so I can make it?" he inquired, just to see what she could come up with.

After thinking frantically about it for a moment, she nodded slowly. Reluctantly.

"I do" and with cared given to something a child appreciated a lot, she took her little sword and handed it to him with a solemn expression on her pretty face. "My trusty sword is made of Aspen wood, is good and never had fail me in killing Dragons, you can take it"

He would have laughed if her face hasn't show how serious she was being, so he turned to look at the toy sword that look more like a small kitchen knife than a sword to him, noticing that it was well used and scratched in places but it would serve to make the clap. Turning to glanced at her with equal serious expression he took the object carefully and nodded, receiving a watery nod from her, obviously not wanting to part with it but willing to gived it away for a present to her Mother.

"It will be ready tomorrow in the afternoon if that is agreeable to you, little lass" He informed her, looking outside hazarding a guess that it had been two hours at most since her appearance in his forge, and it was time for him to find her parents and give her back to them. He had work to do and could not entertain her for much more time, besides, the forge wasn't a place for a child to play it was dangerous.

"Yes, yes! I'll come for it!" her blinding smile was warm and happy, curls bouncing around her chubby face with pinky cheeks. "Thank you so much, Master Dwarf!" she hugged him around the neck and gived him a kiss in the cheek when he lifts her into his arms to started walking outside.

"The name, is Thorin Oakenshield" he said walking neared the buildings so as not to be pushed around while carrying his precious cargo with him. Seen her confused expression, he smiles lightly. "My name, lass"

"Oh!" her lips formed a small circle before expanding into a happy grin. "My name is Bluebell, is a pleasure to meet you" she was trying to copy her father when meeting new people, he had always told her to be a polite little girl with manners, thought she wasn't sure what those were.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you" Thorin said, arranging his little cargo better to accommodate her new position, with her head resting in his shoulder and her arms around his neck. It appeared that she was tired and falling asleep rapidly, so he inquired for the name of the Inn she and her family were staying.

"It's the Dancing Pony" her voice was soft, sleepy and only a yawn was let loose before she closes her eyes and fell asleep in her new friend's arms, the good Dwarf Blacksmith Master Thorin Shield-something. She couldn't remember his full surname.

Thorin shook his head at the wrong name but knowing which she was referring to and being glad that it wasn't far away and she hasn't actually walked much to his forge all alone. When he went inside the Prancing Pony, one of the most famous Inn in Bree he looks around to see if he could spot a Hobbit or someone who could have told him to whom the child belongs to but was interrupted by a high female voice.

"Have you see her? She is small and with wild brown curls, just a little Hobbit child!" Belladonna asked one of the personnel that worked there, desperate to know where her precious daughter could have gone but having no such luck.

When she had return form her errands a little over then minutes ago, and found her husband pass out cold with fever and no sight of her little Fauntling of a daughter the panic had settle in, and she started searching for the child in their room, when asking her almost delirious husband he just told her in a murmured tired voice that Bell had gone out to the neighbors and would be back in a short moment, but that only made her moaned in despair, having an idea of what could had happened but not knowing where her spirited lass had gone.

So, she went to speak with anyone down stairs in the hopes they had seen or knew anything but found out nothing of importance, no-one had seen her, and she was at a loss of what to do saved looking all over the village and hoped for a miracle. Not even when carrying that cursed ring did she felt so hopelessly desperate and at her wits end.

That is until a voice called her to attention.

"Mistress Baggins by any chance did you lost this?" the strong and grave voice asked.

And when she turned around to see who it was that called, her confusion was multiply at seeing the blacksmith she had went to see that morning to repair her family pans, Thorin Oakenshield, but that quickly pass at seen what or actually who he was carrying in his arms.

"Bluebell!" she shouted, relieved to see her child safe and sound in front of her, and rapidly taking her from the Dwarf, and hugging her to her chest without her daughter waking up by being manhandle. "Oh sunshine, you're safe!" she muttered in her daughter's curly hair, almost crying in relief. Then turned rapidly to him, still standing there with a calm and stern expression on his face. "Thank you! Thank you so much for finding my precious babe, I do not know how to repay you"

"Tis was nothing" Thorin dismissed gently. "You do not have to pay me anything"

"Oh, but you found her, I just-" Belladonna had to swallow down her tears or else she would have wept in relief right there. "Thank you, just… thank you so much"

"Your welcome, Mistress Baggins, I'm just happy she had found me and not some unsavory people that could have harm her" clearly, he wanted to make a point, but he was being serious. In all his time moving from place to place he had seen thing that could curl milk, and let people know that evil existed in the heart of people, be it Dwarves, Elves or Men. "She is a delightful child, she is" he added to not sound so sour and stern, still talking in a quiet voice so as not to awake the lass even though she appears to be dead to the world, if the light snoring was anything to go by.

And then he went into the details of his encounter with the little lass and everything that had transpired in the short period of time spend in the forge with the petite Hobbit lassie. To say Belladonna was dumbfounded was stretching the truth, and again she marveled at her daughter courage and kind heart, and of the goodness of this Dwaft blacksmith to her only child.

"Again, thank you Master Oakenshield, for taking care of my little darling for me when I wasn't around, if you ever need anything or go to the Shire feel free to pass by Bag-End and we, my husband and I, will be sure to give you a proper welcoming into our home" Belladonna smiled genuinely at the intimidating Dwarf. Now sure that he had a good heart.

"I'll be sure to remember it if I do ever go to The Shire, Mistress Baggins" Thorin nods, before looking with kindness at the still sleeping girl in her Mother's arms. "Your pans will be ready tomorrow in the afternoon so feel free to come by and let me know if I can do anything else for you or your daughter"

"I will, thank you" she agreed, hugging the body of her precious girl before turning around with a nod to him and going to her room, wondering what her husband would say when he get better and learned about their daughter first real adventure, she was sure he would get a heart attack.

Their little Bluebell was growing to be a handful, and she would probably be the cause of Bungo Baggins hair going white before time, of that she didn't have a doubt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope that you like it and leave me your opinions in the form of comments to know if you did and such!
> 
> Also! Next update so far is next Saturday!
> 
> Translation Elvish (Sindarin)-English:
> 
> Mithrandir - is a Sindarin phrase meaning Grey Pilgrim or Wanderer.


	4. Through A Warm Childhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Here is the next chapter... and first I would like to say that I am so sorry for not posting this Saturday but I didn't have internet since Monday morning and all through the week until today! It was awful! D:
> 
> BTW thank you to all that had taken the time to comment and, those who leave kudos and add follow, it means a lot to me. Well anyway I hope you guys this one!
> 
> I hope you like this one as much as the other, and comment if you like it or not and let me know your opinion.
> 
> DECLAIMER: I own nothing, that would be Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The next few days parting from the strange meeting of mother and daughter, it was all a blur of bouncy curls and warm brown bright eyes of a happy child running around his feet or just simply sitting with a curious look in her eyes and red chubby cheeks almost splitting with the biggest smile he ever saw in anyone's face.

It made his heart warm and hurt a bit, for the memories it brought to mind of his own younger siblings, Frerin and Dis, and their time together when they were just but wee babes running around the halls of Erebor with his mother smiling exasperated and his father mischievous but kind eyes following him and his kin with naught but love, a time when his Grandfather was well and ruling as a true King should.

But those were time long gone. They weren't coming back, both his parents were dead and gone, same with his little brother, and his other kin were far away from him and he was an exile Prince, with nothing to call his but his own name and ability.

And with all this, he realized the time the small Hobbit lass had given him days of light and little smiles, a warm he didn't know that he needed or were missed. And so, he found himself taking time to walk around with her letting her talk to her hearts content of any and many things, as hard as it was to believe, even playing with the wee child around his house, but never inside the forge for the danger that that could provide for her. He even accedes to indulge her brave little heart giving her advice on how to properly handle a sword, and how to stand against an adversary bigger than her, with the permission of her mother and father of course, something that cause Belladonna some amusement and a confuse if slightly acceptance of Bungo, who Thorin had finally meet two days after the incident of his little flower getting into her own adventure.

Right now, Thorin was simply sitting in the grass looking as Bell was running around with a new toy sword in her dainty hand slaying imaginary foes, this time he thought were Goblins; with a big smile and dirt all over her small frame, her little feet silent and fast in the grass while swiping the toy from right to left and rolling around as if evading an enemy. And he couldn't avoid the small twitch of his lips that was becoming more and more common the longer he was around the bright child these days; she was just something unique and good, that he just couldn't keep from seeking that warm light like a moth to a fire.

"Master Oakenshield! Master Oakenshield!" her chubby and pink face was standing in front of him, bright eyes wide and intense.

"Hmm?" he inquired a bit startled, he hadn't notice her getting closer until she was standing there, too deep in his own thought he presume. "What is it, little Bell?"

"Will you visit? Will you?" she asked, looking at him almost without blinking waiting for an answer.

Confused, Thorin wonder what she was on about, but after thinking about it for a bit, he ended up catching the meaning, and if the sad honey brown eyes were any indicative she thought his silent was a negative, and not wanting to damper that usually bright spirit he found himself saying something that even surprised himself.

"I will, if you want me to, then I most definitely visit you little one" even when the words pass his lips, he found that he actually was being serious about it.

And with that, the lass jumped of joy and scream happily running around him celebrating until he thought he would get cross-eyed trying to follow the movement, and then she tackled him from behind with a warm hug chatting away about all the things she would show him and what they would do, and he could only smirk bemusedly at the enthusiasm the little lassie display.

All in all, his days passed with happy chatter and bright smiles, until the time came for them to go.

"I don't wanna go, Mama! I want to stay with Master Oakenshield!" Bell wailed, her arms and legs wrapped around the sturdy leg of one Mister Thorin Oakenshield, that was standing quite awkwardly looking between the two arguing females while Bungo was just putting the last things in the cart with the pony to take back to Hobbiton.

"You can't stay here Bell, we have to go home!" Belladonna wasn't having any of her daughter little stubbornness, her arms crossed over her ample chest, gaze sharp fixed on the little girl. "Now say goodbye to Master Oakenshield and thank him for his time and all he did for us and let's go home, now young girl" she added seen that she wasn't moving from the place beside the Dwarf.

"But Mama!" her big eyes bright with unshed tears, lower lip trembling. "I don't want to say bye-bye to him, he's nice and play with me, and teaches me to fight and… and… he's nice, even with all the weird hair on his face!" Bell didn't detach herself from the Dwarf, if ever just harden the grip on his leg.

"Bell!" Belladonna admonished her, scowling at the child. Wondering internally why she had gotten her stubbornness and not the more compliant personality of her father, but then Bluebell was more Took than Baggins.

"No! I don't wanna say bye-bye!" she cried, hiding her face in the clothed leg and letting out some tears, almost sobbing outright there.

Thorin sigh, and decided that he should give in and try to make peace and calm the little lass before she work herself into a full out crying mess, and so, he pried her now somewhat weak hold on his leg and took her into his arms were she hid her face full with tears into the place between his neck and shoulder, little frame shaking with the force of containing her sobbing. Petting her small back, he started to calm the distress child as best as he could.

"You have to go home, little one" he muttered not unkind making her turn to face him, but the rapid hurt expression blooming on her teary eyes told him that he had said the wrong thing and so try to fix his blunter or else she would cry harder.

"You don't want to see me no more?" Bell lip wobble dangerously, eyes big and full of tears, with a betrayed and pained look.

"No, no is not that" he was fast to said, a bit frustrated with his lacking of handling children, but tried to keep going, just so he could not see the dreary and sad expression on her cute face. "Don't you remember the promise? I say that I would visit you, did I not?"

Startled Bell look at him wide-eyed still damp but thinking hard to try to remember that talk, and when she finally had it, her smile was blinding. The happiness returning to her once sad countenance.

"Do you remember now?" he asked with a mock serious tone, and at her fast nodding he felt his lips twitch a bit not for the first time since meeting the child in his arms. "Well then, I can't visit you if you are here in Bree, don't you think? You have to go home first so that I can have a reason to go to Hobbiton"

"And then I can show you my favorites places to play and where I go hunting for dragons!" she added exultant, bouncing in his arms forgetting completely that just a few minutes ago she has been crying.

"Indeed, so now you see little one" his bright Durin blue eyes fixed in her honey brown with a kindness that made the mother and father of the lass exchange a knowing look before glancing back at them with different expression on their face, but he didn't take notice of it, all his attention on the little girl.

"I do" Bell nod looking all serious for a child her age. "But if I go home, you have to visit as soon as possible! And I will write to you letters so as to remind you of it until you do come and play with me" and with that final demand that could only be made a child, she squirms until being put down and skip to her Mother side.

"I will be most honored if a fair young Lady write to this poor old Dwarf" Thorin said in mock fun, bowing deeply to make her childish laugh ring out like bells.

And with that and a few more hugs than what Thorin had receive in many years, they group of three Hobbits part from Bree with light hearts and a promise from a blacksmith Dwarf to visit soon.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

It has pass over two seasons, Autumn and Winter, before Bluebell saw her Dwarf friend again.

In the early days of Spring, a young Bell was playing near the woods in the road that leads to out of Hobbiton, practicing her fighting stance like she have been taught, imagining that she was slaying a big fat dragon with most vigor when it happens; at first she didn't pay it any mind too focus in her own fantasy to heed anything around her but then her sensitive ears register the sound of hooves on the road, and like most Tooks children turn to investigate taking her new sword with her and hid in the bushes near the road.

Big eyes at the ready, grip tight in her toy sword and then she saw it, riding atop a pony; width shoulders under a dark blue coat with fur, black long hair with some streak of silver in it, and bright blue eyes that were fixed in the road ahead, there stood Thorin Oakenshield, her blacksmith Dwarf friend.

With a squeal that would have make the death rise from their tomb, the small child jumps out from the bushes and sprint at full speed barreling toward the coming Dwarf, startling the pony a bit together with his rider. Surprised by the sudden movement and sound, Thorin almost got Orcrist out to defend himself of a possible attack, that is until he recognizes the threat was just one little wee lass with brown ringlets and honey brown eyes. Relaxing his fighting stance, he smirks and dismount to catch the hyper wee lass Hobbit into his arms, hugging her with warm he hadn't felt since the last time he saw her in Bree when saying goodbye that time.

"You came!" Bell squeals hugging her friend hard around the neck.

"Of course, I did! I promise after all, did I not?" he said, feeling his lips twitch and smelling her scent of earth, grass and flowers that was unique to her. It gives him comfort somehow.

"You did, yes!" she nodded enthusiastic and all bright eyes. "Come! Come we have to tell Mama and Papa! And then I can show you around and we can play!" and then she started to list all the things that they could do almost without stopping for breath even if just for a second.

Chuckling at her antics, he put her on his shoulders putting a hand around her leg so she didn't fall and took the rein in his other hand leading the pony with his traveling bag and supplies so he could walk into the little town inhabited of Hobbits while he listen to her happy chatter.

It took him a good deal of time to decide if he should make the trip into the Hobbits domain, but in the end the memory of that promise to the wee lass was what prompt him into action after the winter ended and it was safe to travel in the road, well as safe as one could possibly be what with the occasional bandit roaming around. After all he always would abide by his words, he was an honorable Dwarf.

Many of the Hobbits he passes by stare at him suspiciously mostly the adults, others like the younger ones look on with wide eyes and curiosity, what with him carrying Bell in his shoulders and this one little lassie was talking nonstop and waving to the populace around them with the brightest smile to that day, clearly proud for some reason that he didn't quite understand.

He was a little worried of the receiving we would get once there after all he hasn't send words of his arrival because it had been a spur of the moment decision, but he shouldn't have worried so much, because Belladonna and Bungo receive him with wide arms and happy smiles, inventing him to stay with them immediately when they found out that he has planned to stay in the Green Dragon while in Hobbiton. And so he just ended waking up with a handful of bubbly child jumping on him occasionally and while some of his time was spend helping his host around the house as much as they permit it or repairing pots and doors handlers in the exchange for the bed and food, the rest was spend with the bouncy child almost attached to his leg permanently chirping about one thing or the other of making a lot ton of questions that sometime leave him reeling and overwhelm.

By the time he had to leave back to Bree, for he had his own job to do and couldn't spend much more time with the little family of Hobbits no matter how warm and welcoming they were, he still had a life outside them and so he returns somewhat reluctantly back to his forge. Not without getting around to promise more visits in the future and to writing letters so they keep in touch.

This time around the goodbye was less troublesome but still Bell was sad to see her friend go, and in the end, she send him with a lot of food prepare by her mother and herself, and flowers braided into his pony's hair.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

Thorin didn't thought he ever could get attached to anyone after the fall out with his Grandfather and the goodbye from his sister and friends and kin, but apparently he was wrong, and in the next years he found himself coming back at least for a few weeks from time to time, and always found Bell waiting for him near the road or near Bag-End and end up making the way up into her home were he was received happily by the couple of Hobbits; and every single time he came around he witness how the little lass had grown in heights and energy, but still her sweet nature prevail, charming him into playing games in the woods near the valley or simply sitting reading in the parlor while he polished his sword and daggers which he never let her touch unsupervised by an adult, no matter how she begged.

The second time he came around to visit he found himself with some brave Hobbits wanting to pay him money for repairing something like pans, or knickknacks in a few cases a commission of trinkets for a courting gift or as a birthday present. When he asked about how they found out about his ability as a smith, they point out that the Baggins had show the others Hobbits his work in their house and so Thorin found himself with new clients and income of money every time he visit the Shire making his stay instead of just two weeks it became a month and a half.

It was hallucinating how he had been accepted into the life of the Hobbits, not only of the Baggins, but of some of their relatives like the Tooks, the Brandybucks and even the Gamgees; he almost got a heart attack when Belladonna drop a comment about speaking to her father, the Thaine, about leading him permanently the forge in Hobbiton that was long out of used for him to do his work properly and officially. When he started calling her Princess, in deferent to the Thain begin the highest rank title in the Shire and in his mind eye that would make Gerontius Thook a King, Belladonna laugh outright and inform him that Hobbits didn't pay much mind to titles and such, they prefer food, a good home and flowers and didn't worry for anything else much, except gossips.

It would still pass a few more visit until he was able to not call her and her daughter princesses, to the amusement of Bungo. And don't even get him started when he found out the difference of ages between their two races, begin that Dwarf live up until two-hundred and fifty years if they are lucky not to die in battle that is, meanwhile the hobbits only last until their one-hundred regularly, that not being the case of the line of the Tooks whom tend to reach one-hundred and thirty at most.

It took him a lot of time to digest that, but eventually he let it pass, and just focused on Bell's bright light and her childish antics.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

"Master Thorin?" Bell called to him, sitting beside him in the grass of a hill, toy sword still near but in her lap, there was a book that have been a gift from the Dwarf to her, last summer for her birthday.

Thorin stopped polishing his sword, even though Orcrist never appear to dull no matter what he supposed it was some kind of Elvish magic or so and turn to look at the girl sitting beside him; taking her in like every time he was in the Shire for a visit, detailing every single thing about her that has change in the months without seen her. Like her mop of hair, that was longer and rich reaching almost her middle back but still curly and bouncy like when she was littler, her healthy rosy skin that show how plenty she eats, and then there were her bright and pretty eyes, of honey brown that transmit only warm and happiness to those who look at her.

He couldn't stop to think that she had grown up a bit from the chirping wee lass he had meet that time in Bree those years ago. But at the same time, she was still the same, and for that he was glad even if she was now more a teen than a child in Hobbits years at least.

"Master Thorin are you there?" she asks again, smiling slightly at him seen as he appear deep in thoughts.

"Hmm?" he blinked and focused on the here and now, usually he tended to reminiscent more and more about the years gone pass.

"I asked if you have any family out there" she said slowly, big honey brown eyes fixed on him; she had wonder about it for so long but had known from observing that he tend to shy away from that kind of question, however she just couldn't hold back the curiosity anymore.

"I do" he nodded after carefully thinking about his answer, ignoring the pang he felt in his heart; taking a breath he continued with slow deliberation. "I have a sister and two nephews, their names are Dis, Fili and Kili, their father is one of my dearest friends, names Vili"

"Do they look like you? With beards, dark hair and blue eyes? Or do they look different?" she wondered out loud, wiggling her toes distractedly, even tho she had mellowed somewhat over the years, her essence was still pretty much the same and compare to other Hobbits she was still considered wild.

"I… do not know, I'm afraid" he smiled sadly looking in to the distance, his hold on the pommel of the sword tight. "When I left home, Dis was but a child herself, and I haven't seen her or my other kin since then"

There was a silence that hung heavy in the air, making the Dwarf Prince wonder if telling her that had been wise when he felt it, slight arms surrounding at best as they could his taller and broader frame while a curly head lay in his shoulder filling him of warm and comfort.

"It's okay to be sad" she whispered softly, feeling sad herself just thinking how lonely her Dwarf have been without his family at his side and roaming the world without a permanent home. "I would miss my family too if they were very far away, and I miss you very, very much every time you have to go back to Bree after another visit" she confesses, hugging him more tightly than before.

Thorin had to swallow hard so as not to cry like a babe right there in the young Hobbit lass hold, it had been a long time since anyone has offer him comfort, had cared genuinely that he just didn't know what to do or how to behave in the actual situation; and so, he just let instinct took over, and end up hugging the girl tightly that probably was hard for her to breath let a long move, but she didn't appear to mind, as she just got comfortable in his lap and lean against his body putting her head under his chin, and then just started to hum a tone that he was sure heard Belladonna sang to her child when she was little.

It was a long time later that Thorin felt he could let go of the lass, when his emotions were under tight control again could he braves a look at her, expecting to find her asleep like in other occasions when she been leaning against him and was lulled to the dream land; but this time she was wide awake and smiling gently at him.

"Is it better now?" she muttered her hands running soothingly over his broad back. In a way that made her look more grown that she actually was.

"Yes, thank you" he said after clearing his throat a bit, feeling his cheeks burn slightly with a blush that he hoped was hidden by his beard, that he kept short in honor to his father and little brother loss and as a reminder of what could be lost for the greed of gold if left uncheck.

"I'm glad" she nodded perking up a bit, feeling happy just being with him there in the grass, just holding each other.

She always had felt safe and protected in his arms since she was but a wee child; if he had been anyone else, a Hobbit lad for instance, Bell was sure that she couldn't have felt comfortable being held like that or touched at all, for property sake if nothing else. Touching before courting was not done in the Shire, and even then it was just permitted that the couple only hold hands, short kisses in the hand and cheek or a hug in welcome or goodbye nothing else until they were married otherwise it was seen as uncouth, a bit vulgar and unladylike behavior for a Hobbit lass in the age of courting; however when Thorin was concern she didn't mind one bit the physical contact or being near his taller and sturdier form.

It really didn't matter much anyway, because Bell wasn't regarded as much in the Hobbit community these days because of her behavior that was looked as too brash, too wild, and too unladylike for their taste; the other Hobbits lasses give her a width berth and the lads just look at her like she had two heads when she started talking about going in the occasional trip to Bree or simply ignored her in favor of the other more sensible Hobbits lasses. In honesty it didn't bother her that much, after all some of her cousins still treated her well, specially the Tooks; and if she was completely thoughtful Bell wasn't interest in the others Hobbits lads at all, they were much too proper and stiff, it left her feeling uncomfortable and somewhat irritated.

And then there were the adults, who frown with disapproval at her oddities, specially the parents of Lobelia, and by consequence her cousin herself did too. And the others just sigh hoping for her to soon forget about what they dubbed crazy ideas and turn her focused on being a proper Hobbit lady, but Bell didn't feel inclined to bend to their ideas and keep doing her own things, after all her parents were supportive of her goals of not settling down and being courting as soon as she came of age, or just to simply fit in the standards that others had of her.

"What are you thinking about little one?" Thorin wonder still holding slightly her petite body, his curious Durin blue eyes boring into her faraway expression.

"I'm little no more, Master Thorin!" she pouted gazing up at him, honey brown eyes sparkling happily showing that she wasn't being serious, after all she knew he meant it as an endearment more than anything else.

"Oh, but you are lass, to me at least" he said with a smirk on his lips, not only referring to her height that barely reach his sternum but her age too after all she was but entering her teens years. "You are a short little wee lassie"

"Oh, your meanie!" Bell frown her lips in a pout pretending to being offended by his words, but the laugh in her gaze couldn't be disguised at all. "Soon I'll be tall like you and then you would not be able to say I'm little ever again!"

"We'll see little one, we'll see" was all he mentioned, turning his attention to her mop of curly hair forgetting for the moment about the initial question, and noticing that it was all a mess of knots for running and rolling in the grass for too long. "Your hair" was all he could said.

Curious Bluebell reach with a hand to the strands of hair filling from the top of her head, finding knots and generally the usual mess of locks, sighing unhappily thinking about the scolding she would receive from her mother when they went home later almost made her want to groan in despair.

"I should just cut it off and then this would never happen again" she grumbled sulkily taking a brush from one of her pockets and tried to untangle them out but that only manage to hurt her scalp with the tugging of the strands.

"Don't cut it off!" Thorin rapidly said, alarmed at the mere thought of that mass of pretty curls being cut off just like that; after all curly hair was not common in the race of Dwarves, nor in the Elves now that he thought about it, and even thought he had seen a few humans with it, it wasn't frequent.

"But is just a bother all the time" she whined wincing at another sharp tug of the brush on a piece of hair. "It never stays put in the braid I do no matter what I do or with what ribbon I used, it always came off"

"Would you allow me to… braid it for you then? Dwarven hair is thicker than a Hobbit and we know how to do it so it doesn't come off so easily because it would be an inconvenience if we have out hair all over our face when in battle or in the forge" He added fast seen her confuse expression at the initial suggestion.

Even though he knew that hair wasn't a big deal for the Hobbits as it was with Dwarves, it still was intimate to touch another person hair without their permission, and even then, it would be mostly family members or very close friends that have the honor of doing it, or in the other case an intended that planned to court and ultimately marry a Dwarf is allow to touch it.

Even though this was neither.

"Would you?" Bell smile brightly, giving him the brush eagerly and sitting with her back to him so he could reach it better, internally happy that he had offered because she remember what it means to his kin to touch another's hair, and it made her warm thinking that he could consider them close friends and family.

Slowly as if she would run away at the barest touch of his hands, he started to divide the hair in little strands and carefully used the brush to easy the knots out and like that, one by one he went over every part of it until the curls bounce softly untangled. Thorin was internally awed of the texture of it, so fine and delicate just like it's owner that he was afraid of applying too much pressure and damaging it while braiding it.

It wasn't as if he had never touched her hair, it was that he had never done it like that, never brushing it… nor braiding it.

"There, is ready" he said, and with more reluctance than he would liked to admit, Thorin let go after putting the green ribbon at the end, scooting back a bit from her looking with critical eye at the braids. It was nothing fancy after all, just a practical fish braid that put her beautiful hair together and out of the way for better movement.

"Thank you, Master Thorin!" Bell turned to him and give him the warmest smile to ever shine in Hobbiton, eyes soft and pink lips stretched gently. "Will you do my hair again whenever possible?"

Thorin felt something move inside him at the look and simple gentleness that was radiating off her like the very sun in the sky, his heart just started to beat a little bit faster and harder than what was usual and he had to turn away, feeling the need to move or do something, to act, like when the adrenaline of a fight crawl up on him at the prospect of battle. Shaking himself out of those perturbing thoughts of his, he stood with a forced clam and took his sword in hand before answering her inquiry.

"As long as you like Bell, now take your sword we are practicing a few moves in dealing with an opponent bigger then you" he rapidly said to cover form his strange behavior even though she didn't appear to had detect anything amiss.

"Okay!" she jumped enthusiastic to learn from him, know it were fewer the times he agreed to practice with her, mainly because he was afraid of hurting her with his immense strange, but he still give her advice and such in the days were she actually decided to practice what other Hobbits consider a tasteless hobby to have.

Neither of them knew that that lesson would come to be used sooner than expected.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is! I hope you guys liked it and leave me your comments about it ! :D So sorry again for the delay but it was really out my control :'v
> 
> So far the next chapter will be next Saturday, if nothing like this week happen again that is... :v


	5. My Hero of Carved Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first I would like to say Thank You to all of you that have comments and kudos, and follow this sotry, because you guys that gives me hopes and makes me want to keep writing! Also so sorry for not posting yesterday but it things came up... :'v
> 
> Well anyway I hope you guys this one and give me you opinion in the form of comments with this new chapter!
> 
> BTW! This is a bit of a warning that you will encounter a bit of violence and other things, so beware of it!
> 
> I'm looking for a Betareader if anyone is interest please send me a PM or put in on a comment! Thank you!
> 
> DECLAIMER: I own nothing, that would be Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

 

It was getting near Autumn and all the Hobbits were starting to stock their pantries for the oncoming winter that year, revising their homes so it was well prepared to the lower temperatures and that they were enough to keep them warm, feed and safe inside their Smial; they knew it was coming for the dropping of cold air and fading color of the leaf and wilting flowers.

Bluebell had just turn twenty-seven years old that late September twenty-two, even though for the humans it would be the equivalent of being like seventeen years of age, still a young girl but starting to be less of a child and being to behave with more maturity as was in accordance with growing up; but that too, indicate the start of interest in the person of the opposite sex, were flirting and giggling was expected and so were misbehaving tweens that were constantly under the careful watch of their parents.

Except she didn't fancy any of that behavior, for what her parents were grateful, more her father than her mother to be perfectly honest, but all the same Bell just was interest in the flowers like any other Hobbit was, in good food, reading books and of course her trusty wooden sword and a Dwarven dagger made by Thorin for her last year birthday, even though he knew of the tradition of Hobbits of giving present to other in their birthdays instead of the other way around.

It was a beautiful thing, shiny steel that was incredible sharp as she has find out when she cut her finger touching the blade; that had cause Thorin to reprimand her most sternly for the carelessness when handling the object, the hilt was made of some kind of white wood with the carving and painting of an assortment of flowers that unbeknown to Thorin it had meanings beyond what he thought. There was a Bluebell flower, her name sake, in the middle of the handle in both sides and parallel with each other, then there were red Chrysanthemum and purple Heliotrope which means, love or affection and eternal love respectively, and then intertwined between the flowers and around the hilt were both Cedar Leaves and Ivy and those signify think of me and fidelity and friendship.

When she had received the dagger, they were resting in the field near a river after the long night of partying with the others Hobbits that had attend to her twenty-six birthday party, just the two of them as it was now custom when he had given her his gift, that was something occurring every year since she could remember; and what came to be her surprise that it was an actual weapon, granted, not as big or important as a real sword would have been, but all the same it made her beyond happy, that is until she detailed the carvings of the flowers while he went to soak his feet in the nearby river. First it came confusion, then bewilderment while her heart started beating so hard and fast that she thought then it would just scape her chest from one moment to another, and then, when the meaning of the flowers caught up to her shocked mind she felt her cheeks turn a bright shade of red.

She didn't know what to think about it all and the massage that the flowers show together, and so with a cautiousness so uncommon from her bubbly nature, she offhandedly asked him about his choices of the carved flowers, to which he turn to look at her with those beautiful and haunting Durin's blue eyes that could rival the sky itself and that could just as rapidly change when a storm was approaching when he was particularly feeling annoyed or angry, not that she has seen him get angry often since meeting him, actually and those she was present to she could count it in the palm of a hand.

He had just gaze at her, informing her sitting form under a tree that the principal flower was for her name sake, which Bell had already guess, and the other were just for decoration, tho he did know that Chrysanthemum means cheerfulness, optimism and wonderful friend because he had heard two Hobbit talking about it in Bree; when he saw her looking intently at the dagger he had furrowed his brow asking if she didn't like the design a bit worried and that he could change it for her if she so wish it. Bell instinctively just grasped the sharp dagger to her chest protectively and told him with the best smile she could muster that she absolutely loved it and that she just has been curious, to which he just gazed at her in confusion before smiling a bit at her and turning his attention to the river and its calmness.

She to that day didn't know why she accept it and keep it so close, beside obviously being a gift from him, and Bell neither told him what such a gift could be meaning in the Hobbit customs. Though in the end a few days after he had gone on his way back to Bree her parents discover the dagger and her father about fainted seeing the decoration in it, while Belladonna just look at it thoughtfully before talking to her husband privately and then after making sure that Thorin didn't knew what that meant they just keep quiet and didn't mention it again.

Now a year after the incident of the present, she still carry it around in her person all the time, it was a comforting presence that remind her of him when he was far away, and considering that this year Thorin couldn't come to her birthday, it was consoling running her hands over the hilt, even thou it wasn't as good as himself it was all she got at the time.

Her honey brown eyes look toward the horizon lost in her thoughts of the tall and handsome Dwarf that has been her companion since she was but a wee lass barely reaching his knee, it have been a couple of long years since then but he still keep coming back and now that she was older and could understand things that as a child couldn't Bell wonder why and what made him come back year after year. They weren't his kin or family, at least not by blood, and then it was the racial differences in their upbringing that being that Hobbits as a general rule didn't like fighting and were a friendly and peaceful people, and the Dwarves as he himself had said, were a strong and warrior people, more apt at wagging war and excellent with jewelry and every precious metal upon Arda, while the Hobbits appreciate food and comfort before anything else.

The community of Hobbiton had accepted and welcome his presence into their midst after the first two years of him turning up to stay with the Baggins for weeks at times and then it was Thorin's work as an excellent and renown blacksmith, and after nineteen years of visiting the Hobbits didn't pay much mind to him or kept quiet around his person and avoid him like in the beginning, no, now he was one more of their lot. An honorary Hobbit and a friend to some, if nothing else.

Suddenly a sound to her right alerted her of an oncoming person, and with her honed abilities of exploring and training of her natural skills, Bell hid behind a tree and only look cautiously out with a hand in the hilt of her wooden sword that have been her trusty companion since childhood, she hope it wasn't Lobelia and her group of friends coming to nag her again or that annoying Robbie Joybelly, that have started to follow her around Hobbiton and always was trying to be a show off and continually tell her what to do and how she should behave herself if she wanted to marry anyone someday.

It was becoming irritating to say the least.

But around the hill came not the lad or her cousin, but a little wee lad Hobbit, that she immediately recognizes as Drogo Baggins, another of her extended family members and a dear cousin, from her father side. He was a wee thing, of unruly brown-black locks and bright warm hazel eyes, even tho he was of the Baggins family branch, he wasn't as proper or dry as Lobelia and her parents, and he instead liked to spend time with her, even if the little one was more reserved than Bell when she was little, he still had some spunk to him that she liked.

"Hey Drogo, how are you?" Bell stepped out of the bushes and smiled at the faunt kindly.

The poor lad almost jumped out of his skin when Bell got out of nowhere, but rapidly relaxed seen that it was no stranger and certainly the person he was looking for.

"Bell! Bell! You have to come!" his little and childish voice sounded a bit alarmed and nervous, when he took her hands and try to drag her with him, even though she hardly moved an inch from the spot.

"What do you mean? What is wrong?" confusion laced her tone; her honey brown eyes looked at him curiously, but in her stomach started to settle a feeling that make her uncomfortable and fill her with dread. "Did something happen?"

"Primula, Jill, Allen and I were playing like always but after a while they got bored and said they were going to play to the borders near The Marish, but Mama told us to keep away from there!" Drogo rush to said, almost without breathing between the words, his little face flushed red.

Bell bit her lip nervously but tried to appeared unperturbed so her little cousin didn't freak out more and thought rapidly, deciding on acting fast and go get the wee faunts. So, with the plan rapidly forming in her head, she got down so their eyes were at the same level and taking a deep breath, she said.

"Drogo, dear, I'm going to go where they are and get them to come back, so please go home to your Mother and Father" seeing him looking at her fretfully, she smiled once again and reassure him that everything would be fine, before sending him on his way before turning around and marching toward the children have gone.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

Bluebell blinked slowly, but had to shut her eyes for the pain that the light cause her, her body felt heavy and the back of her head hurt pretty bad, beyond confused, she tried to move thinking that maybe she had fallen from one of the trees at home however doubtful that was seeing as she had been climbing all her life and never gotten more than a few scratches, and yet she found that her hands were tied with a tick rope. Surprised, she tried to account for the other part of her body meanwhile her brain worked to make sense of what was happening, and it was then she noticed that in whatever thing she was resting at it was moving, very much like the movement of a wagon.

Fighting back the panic and fear Bell tried to concentrate on the surrounding.

Her heart started to beat furiously when her sensitive hearing puck up the sounds of a few masculine's voices speaking nearby, and then when she managed to remember what had happen Bell almost curse out loud at her own stupidity. She went to get the fautling and found them where Drogo had said they would be, playing loudly in the vicinity of the old forest of The Marish, and like the almost grown up that she was, scold them a bit before ordering them to go back home, and it was then when the children were grumbling and pouting when the attack came, tall men came out of the trees and launch themselves to the Hobbits, scaring them so bad that Bell only got time to yell at them to run before they were upon her.

She had taken her wooden sword and with fear and determination had face down the three tall men, managing to disarm and hurt the first temporally, before being take down by the others two when she had gotten distracted watching if the wee ones had done as she has told them to. The next thing Bell knew was that the nearest one had taken her sword before a sharp pain exploded in her head and then everything went black.

Now that she was awake and aware of the situation the tears gathered in her eyes at the realization that she has been kidnap by big-folk and taken to be sold as a slave most probably, if the tales that the older Hobbits told were true at all. She would never see her family again, her parents, Grandparents and cousins, her Mother and Father would forever wonder what happen to their only child, they would mourn her, she realizes, but won't search for her, because no Hobbit beside her Mama was brave enough to leave the Shire.

And then there was Thorin.

Bell felt a stab of pain pierce her hear at the thought of never seen his handsome face again.

Her Dwarven companion, the only constant friend that never berate her for her antics and only encourage her to be better, his bright blue eyes that could charm anyone that dare to look directly to him as easily as it could intimidate them; she would never heard that rare laugh that he let out only when something genuine surprise him, the protectiveness of his arms around her smaller form, and that warmth that could only be given by him and no one else.

He would never know what happened to her either, because by the time he arrives at the Shire from Bree it would be too late, she will be far away from everyone and everything familiar to her. At this through Bell could not stop a few tears that scape her eyes, she was truly lost.

Her only hope was to try and scape, if she could.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

Thorin frown his brow and grunt in exasperation, rubbing his chest disgruntled while his pony advanced toward Hobbiton, in his second annual visit to the Shire. Since this morning he had felt weird and was constantly looking around himself to see if there was any danger surrounding him but so far nothing had happen and yet the feeling still persist but by the time the pony was marching into the road to Bag-End he just accepted that whatever it was won't go away so easily and he just hoped that the presence of his dear Bluebell could dissipated his weariness once and for all.

Thoughts of the small young lass invaded his mind like it tend to do whenever his mind was left alone to wander, she had come a long way from the wee lassie that was always running around with an impish grin on her round and rosy face, bouncy curls like a mop dancing in the wind with every step her small bare feet took, usually he had her constantly clinging to his leg asking question and demanding that he played with her, read her a book or simply told her a story about his wandering days in Arda and now she was growing up, still wild with that spark that makes her unique for him, and yet Bell was more tempered and had a maturity that was slowly developing into what would be a wonderful young woman in the years to come.

He wasn't blind, however much Gandalf liked to comment about it.

Thorin knew that Bluebell was a pretty girl, with her brown curls tumbling down her small back like a waterfall, her porcelain skin that had taken a slight golden tone for all the time spend outdoors, the freckled that adorns the bridge of her button up nose, the lips of soft pink that were always smiling at him or laughing constantly with a warmness that he had never encounter before in his long years traveling the lands, and then there was her beautiful honey brown eyes that were always twinkling merrily and could capture the attention of everyone present with one look alone; yes, she was bound to finish growing up and then some Hobbit lad would finally notice and snatch her into marriage.

At this last thought he could not withhold a growl, annoyance rolling all over himself at the sole thought of anyone touching his petite Hobbit lass so much that Thorin had to reign in his strong reaction and hurriedly bury it inside were all the thing he didn't like to think about went; because she wasn't his to have and she was still just a tween, a delicate creature that he could break if applying too much force beside there was the matter that he was a Dwarf and she a Hobbit, and even though inter-racial matrimony happen from time to time, it wasn't commonly known of a Dwarven to find his One outside their race, tho it did happen.

Thorin assume that he was behaving like a possessive Dwarf because he cared a lot for Bluebell, he had seen her grown, she had given him light where only solitude and loneliness had been, she was his own ray of sunlight, and it was commonly known that Dwarves were incredibly protective of their kin and family, and over the long years spend visiting and interacting with the small Hobbit family of Bag-End he had found himself caring for them like he would, perhaps, his own family.

He got out of his wandering thought when his pony stopped in front of the Smial with the green round door, and a small smiled grace his usual grave and sour face at the sight of it. He dismounted and took the pony to the small shed near Bag-End that Bungo had built to put the family wagon and left his mount to rest with fresh water and hay, then he turned toward the house and found himself knocking.

That door that had become a familiar sight of warm and family.

"Thorin! Welcome, come in my friend!" Bungo exclaim jovially opening the door to see the Dwarf that have become part of his family, greeting him properly once inside the Smial.

"Hello Bungo" was all the taciturn Dwarf said, but in his lips was formed a small smile. He sat in the drawing room while his host and friend went to make tea and brought some biscuit to share. Over the years he had got used to the eating habits of Hobbits, and their seven-meal course, tho he still eat just three and the occasional snack between meals.

"How was your travel? Was it safe?" the male Hobbit asked, sitting across from his dark hair friend, eating a blackberry scone accompanied with black tea. "I've heard that there's been trouble in the roads, bandits and such"

"No, there was nothing to worry about, my friend" he nodded, slightly distracted, wondering where the two females of the house where.

"Belladonna is at the market buying some meat and fruits for tonight's supper" he grinned at the startled expression on the other male, while taking a sip of his tea. "And Bell, well one never knows where in all the Shire she could be, but she should be back for afternoon tea" he assured him, grabbing another scone.

"Oh" was all he could said, finishing his snack before chatting a little bit, before being shown to his now quarters inside of Bag-End, where he put his things in and took a shower to leave the smell of the road behind and then when in searching to do something, to end up cutting firewood with the amicable company of the older Hobbit.

By the time that luncheon came and went Belladonna had come back with her supplies and help cook luncheon after welcoming Thorin over.

But there was still no sign of Bell coming back home, something that was unusual because by that time all Hobbiton would know that Thorin was again there, so he quietly went outside to wait for her return siting in the bench on the porch watching as Belladonna worked in her garden with the utmost care; it still marvel him that Hobbits could grow almost anything themselves seen as Dwarves weren't adept with living thing beside ponies and mountain goats. The time waiting was peaceful and yet, the restless feeling that had bugged him since that bright morning only increases as time went by up until the point he couldn't stay one more moment sitting and started to walk around briskly with his fist in a tight white knuckles grip while his eyes move scanning the road for a mop of curly hair advancing toward the Smial, but nothing came.

Only the dread and heavy omen settling in his stomach with every minute that went by and Bell didn't show up to berate him for not assisting to her birthday.

His instinct honed by battles and skirmish were alerting him that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

Bell scowl at the man sitting a distance away, it's been a few hours since being kidnaped by the big folk and so far, they have been only mocking her for her little stature and for her little wooden sword now lost, but she was somewhat relieved that they hadn't try to hit her or something yet worst. Only manhandling her to move or so, and lewd comments and vulgar suggestions, right this instant the buffoons were settling down for the night, incredibly confidents in their minds that no-one would look for the wee little Hobbit.

Or that she would escape.

And if it were any other circumstances it would probably never happen, but she was Bluebell Baggins, her Mother was the favorite Granddaughter of the Thain, and an adventuress of her own right; now that she was somewhat calm and the fear and hopelessness was more or less under control, her irritation was taking place and she had start thinking of getting away when they were distracted after all Master Thorin had taught her how to get away from certain situations and Bell was in that moment incredibly fortunate to have meet someone like her dear Dwarven Warrior.

So, she bid her time, feigning to be a hopeless little Hobbit lass, resting so she had enough energy to accomplish what the plan would entail, testing her restrains and if anything, else was hurt, but come out relatively fine. Bell had to bit her lip in order to held back the scathing words that were about to go out of her mouth so as to not anger them, but it was hard, hearing all they were saying about not only the others Hobbits they have kidnap over the years but of the other races they sell all over Arda, like they were a piece of meat.

She just glared at the floor and clench her teeth as hard as she could, because Bell couldn't do anything for the others long before her, but she still could scape so as not to had the same fate if possible. When the night had fallen and they were laying down to sleep she feign sleepiness and rest in the hard ground as still as possible.

Bell stayed put for a long time, reigning in her instinct of running like a spook rabbit into the forest, because if she wasn't careful everything would be for naught. When she considered that it was safe and her sensitive ears didn't pick up any more chatter and only calm breath from the three men across from her, only then did her eyes opened a bit, trying to use all the senses around her like Thorin had told her to, it could be what saved her and make a difference.

Ever so slowly her hands run down her skirt and search for the object that was hidden between the folds, the dagger that Thorin had made for her, and cautiously took it into her hands as best as she could, before starting to cut into her binds, stopping if she heard any sound, and continuing if nothing else changed. This keep up until her wrist were free, and she started to regain the feeling in her extremities, and as she had done before, Bell went this time for the rope in her ankles.

Turning slightly to see if the men still were they were a few minutes ago, Bell slowly but surely stood up from the dirt in a crouched position, and cautiously started inching towards the trees on silent feet always keeping an eye on the big folk, approaching the horses that barely spared her a glance and cutting them free, taking them gently by the reins and guiding them far away from their master and toward the wild in the opposite direction she was supposed to go, but she needed to make sure they weren't going to reach her so easily; And so, after completing her deed and making sure the horses and their provision were lost, when she was beyond a few bushes were the light of the fire didn't reach so well, she turn and bolted into the dark, only seeing in front of her from time to time when the branches and leaves allow the light of the full moon to pass through. She ran, and ran until her legs and muscles were burning, like she had never run before and thank Yavanna their Mother and creator, and also all of the Valar's that she had been an active child and not a mellow Hobbit like pretty much every other Hobbit she knew.

Every time her body wanted to stop functioning she only had to remember what awaited her if she didn't put enough distances between herself and her kidnappers and then Bell force her body, and mind to go beyond the tiredness and burning of aching muscles; after all she didn't had the time to easy her wary body into sprinting after being tied and unmoving for so long a time, it wasn't ideal but the constant headache she still had since waking from the blow to the head they given her wasn't helping at all.

Bluebell ran until she could see the dew rising signaling that the dawn was getting near and that she was probably getting somewhat near The Shire or even Bree seeing as she had been unconscious the first part of the travel, but there were flora and fauna she recognize and was familiar, so she knew she wasn't completely lost in the woods.

Just when she thought she was far away from them, Bell started to stop even if just for a moment to drink some water before keeping up until reaching Hobbiton, and seeing her family again, when suddenly her ears pick up the sound of pounding feet, it was heard behind her and with the heart beating a mile a minute she went into a sprint but her feet have just take a few steps when a big weigh was upon her, taking her down faster than she could move.

"You little bitch!"

One of the men had reach the escaped little hobbit.

When he got up in the middle of the night to do a piss and realize that their valuable ware was gone and so were their horses he got up the others to search for what was lost, and so they spend the rest of the night searching in vain, but when he was near giving up he had found the Hobbit near a creek drinking water and he had pounce.

He was tired, he was angry and he wanted retribution.

"Did you think you could scape us?" he spat rising his hand and striking her across the face, smirking in satisfaction at the scream and blood the little bitch let escape. "You made us lost a lot of time and money on this stunt of yours" he strikes her again barely feeling the attempt of her to crawl at his hands. "Now you will have a taste of what happen to disobedient females when they don't follow the rules!"

His expression changed to one she couldn't understand until he started to grip at her clothes and tear her blouse exposing her cleavage, that even though modest because of her still young age and still smaller compare to other Hobbit lasses of her age, to the eyes of men it made her look like an adult.

Getting at last the predicament she was in, Bell started to crawl more ferociously when she felt the hands of the man grabbing her body where no-one had ever put a hand on, were she had never been touch; realizing that she wasn't making any progress she grabbed the dagger were it lay forgotten in the folds of her skirt and blindly stab the man were she could reach, making him shout in pain. But if she thought that he would stop, that just made him even madder, and with another hit she felt the pain exploded into all her body, especially in the head; Bell was too tired and in pain to fight with any coherence but still she try, feeling tears of pain roll down her now blotchy face were the bruises were already formed and in each brutal touch of his hands on every part of the body he grabbed.

When she heard and felt the tear of yet more of her clothes leaving her almost completely bare to the world waist up, did she prayed to Yavanna and Mahal and anyone who would listen that someone helped her, because she didn't want to end up like a broken doll in the hands of this man.

And then as if her prayers had been heard, the sudden weight of the man was off her and she heard flesh hitting flesh, it was only when Bell could focus her sight into the obvious fight that was taking place there that she realized what was happening, and immediately her heart took flight inside her ribcage for an entirely different reason.

There in front of her, fighting the taller man, was Thorin Oakenshield.

Her Dwarven companion and friend, the one she thought she never would see again and one of the most important person to her, had come to save her.

Bluebell watch in amazed awed his smooth movements and fierce determination that drive him into the skirmish, but it was obvious even to the undrain eye that the man was losing against the stronger blows of the Dwarven warrior that had years of training on his back. In the matter of minutes, the man receives a hit that land him to the ground with a mortal wound that would surely claim him in short.

The man had fallen and the Dwarven warrior had win the encounter.

To her, Thorin looked like a hero from the stories her Father told her when she was but a faunt and it was time to go to bed.

The next second, she blinked, and his Durin's blue eyes in that moment as sharp as steel turn to her like sensing her stare and in the next moment he himself was crouching at her side hands hovering over her beaten body like unsure if he should touch her or not, and if she wasn't so hurt Bell would have laugh at his indecision seen as her Dwarf was usually anything but.

"You came" her raspy voice sounded hollower than she thought it should.

"Of course, I did, Ghivashel" His tone was hard but, in his eyes, only worry was shown. "Can you move? We should not linger here" he didn't have to tell her why, she was smart enough to know.

"I…" Bell try to move, she really did but it wasn't working, her body didn't had enough energy to function beyond staying awake and even that wasn't going to last much. "I'm sorry… I don't think I can"

"That is fine, don't overdo it" Thorin said, moving his hand to her shoulder with caution, before looking into her eyes for a moment before asking softly. "Can I?"

Confuse about his need of asking she nodded tiredly and with his help she found herself sitting once more in the dirt floor of the forest instead of lying flat on it. Bell went to thank him but found Thorin averting his glance with a fiery blush on his cheeks that even his beard couldn't hide; bewildered she was going to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly given her his outer clothe and it was then that she realize that her shirt and bodice were ripped in the front showing to the world her upper chest and barely covering her meager breasts.

Reddening from the tip of her ears and down to her exposed chest, she rapidly grabbed his offered clothe and rapidly put it on, noticing that it was incredibly bigger on her tine and smaller frame; and yet, she finds it warm and comforting, familiar… like coming home. Once she was decent, Thorin grabbed one of his many belts and manage it to fit her smaller waist so that the frock coat didn't came open when she move, thought he still couldn't look at her in the eye.

 

 

******Break******

 

 

Thorin scanned the wild with a hand on his sword and the other in his pony, while keeping averted from the small river they came across after riding a few hours and where he could hear her splashing in the bank. They had stopped in the way back to Hobbiton mainly because Bell had need of relieving herself and so she had a bit of a clean up to wash away the dirt and blood off.

He couldn't believe he had finally found her.

When the wee littles Hobbits have come running to Bag-End screaming that Bell was fighting big folks, He and Belladonna had run inside were a confuse Bungo was coming to see what the shouts were about, and they both went for their weapons, before running out and getting the information of where it was happening at.

But by the time they arrive at the place, it was too late, Bluebell was long gone.

The only thing remaining to show she had ever been there was the wooden sword that was always at her side now lying discarded and nothing else.

Thorin had looked at it for a few seconds before the anger bubble out and he let a roar out; Someone had taken his Hobbit lass, hi precious Ghivashel had been taken from him to Mahal knows where. Taken. Gone. Those were the only words running through his mind in a circle of fury and madness that only left pass to murdering rage, and at his side Belladonna was more or less in the same stage, cursing in three languages and stomping around the filed vibrating with wrath.

The next minutes were a blur of faces and discussions to Thorin, who ended telling them that he was going behind the bandits that have taken Bluebell and to hell with them all, and without so much as a backward glance he turned to go find his pony and loaded the rest of his weapons and all that he would need. In his way back to Bag-End Belladonna and Bungo came to his side in silence but with a determination rarely seen in them both and help him to pack the necessary and sent him on his way with the best wishes and pleas to bring back home their child and that they would go to the Rangers to alert them of the threat.

He rode like he was going to war, and in reality, it kind of felt like Azanulbizar all over again, with the uncertainty and the fear of losing important people to an unknown force out of his control. But this time, he promises himself, it was going to be different, he wasn't going back empty handed with the body of Bluebell in his arms. No, this time he was coming back victorious if he wasn't called Thorin Oakenshield.

By the time the sun had set and the moon came out he was trying to lift his hopes when he finally found the traces of horses he had lost sometime during sundown, and with grim determination follow it, prying to Mahal all the time for the safety of his precious Ghivashel and to get to her in time.

He didn't sleep and only stopped half an hour so his pony rested something and to take water but always with an ear and eye on the road and surrounding. It was by the time that the dew appears with the upcoming dawn but it was then that he heard it, when searching the ground for the prints of the horses.

At first, he dismisses it as the animals in the forest that were near the creek he could heard, but then there came the sound of talking making him grab for his sword and slowly walk in the direction of the sound, only to found a horrific view.

There, under the body of a man was his little lass, his Ghivashel, and. He. Was. Hitting. Her.

With a blinding rage Thorin launch himself at the tall man, getting him off the wee Hobbit lass, and fighting with all the abilities he possessed, but he wasn't really seen the man but in his place was Azog, trying to take one more person from him, and he wasn't having it.

None of it.

It was only after he strike a fatal blow that throw the man to the floor in a pool of blood and barely conscious that his mind came back to the present and he was in his own mind not induced by blind rage that he remember Bluebell; turning rapidly toward her more worried then he would like to admit, and the next second he was kneeling before her prone form, his heart beating the fear rising over the anger at seeing her unmoving, but thankfully still alive.

When he proposed to leave the place he wasn't expecting to be practically blinded by the beautiful pale skin of her chest and her soft looking breast that were barely concealed by the torn fabric of her upper clothes; feeling the blush on his face, ears and neck Thorin took off his upper wear and turning to look in another direction he offer it to her, knowing that the view was burned into his mind for as long as he lived.

Now after a few hours of traveling, he was starting to calm and thinking about all the implication of the encounter and the anger was slowly growing back, rising its ugly head.

"Master Thorin?"

Her soft voice called him from his thoughts, turning to look at her he snapped completely from his dark thoughts and actually got a good look at her for the first time since finding her, helped with the light of the sun; waving for her to sit in a rock nearby he kneel in front of her and took her chin in his hand with utmost care, slowly as if she were a spooked animal and were to bolt at the smallest of movement.

Thorin had to bite back a growl and curse seen the damage done to her beautiful face.

Her right eye was swollen and purple, the lip split and red, the rest of her wasn't any matter, he didn't want to imagine what the rest he couldn't see would look like. And then a thought occurred to him that left him cold and wanting to vomit.

"Bell, lass I need to ask you something" his throat wanted to close up at the mere thought of that bastard touching her like that, but he needed to know so they could decide what to do.

And how they were going to deal with the possible consequences.

Curiously Bluebell looked at him with all the trust and innocent that only someone so young could have, and that almost killed him; but it needed to be done, and so he launched himself in to the question he didn't knew if he was ready to hear the answer to.

"Did he… were you… Bell…" he stammered a bit before letting a string of colorful curses in Khuzdul fly out of him mouth.

'Shit' Thorin thought furious with himself, be he just didn't know how he could ask that of her, of any woman really, it wasn't something you just say like it was a simple walk in the forest, it was an abomination of the worst kind.

Unforgivable. Unforgettable.

"Did you were hurt… that way?" he finish lamely, his eyes tortured.

Bell didn't understand what Thorin was trying to say but seeing him so distressed was worrisome; confused about his las question she furrowed her brow, not understanding until his eyes travel down to his coat and back again to her face… and it was then she realize what he was asking.

She hasn't stopped to really think about what had happened with the man back there because they needed to move so as not to get found by the others, it wasn't safe to stay much longer; and in all reality she hasn't wanted to think of it, but at that precise moment, when her mind catch up with the realization that she was safe far away from her captors and with her sole protector it all came spilling out like a dam breaking under the pressure of the water long contained.

All the emotions tumble down, rage, fear, sadness, loneliness, disgust and above all, a feeling of being violated somehow even tho her innocence was still intact and it hadn't go beyond painful groping, it still makes her feel dirty. Suddenly the brief clean she did in the stream wasn't enough to make her feel clean, she felt dirty, used.

Like it was her fault.

She broke down crying, shoulders shaking violently, sobs restrained in her throat stubborn of not letting them out, because she didn't want to lose more control that what already was lost to the men. Bell was so immersed in her own pain and despair, that she didn't notice that Thorin arms were around her frame rocking her while holding her in his lap and muttering sweets nothings and reassurance under his breath. But it was something he said that made her react at all.

"I'm so sorry Bell, Ghivashel, I should have done something, I should have been there for you, beside you… none of this would have happen if I have come sooner" Thorin was torn up inside, thinking that his dear and precious lass have been raped, abuse in a manner so vile that if the man wasn't already dead he would make him pay more painfully for what he had done to his bright lass.

"But you came… Thorin, you came for me" she said, voice rough for the crying, eyes blurry with tears.

"But I didn't do it in time to prevent-" he had to stop before his voice broke, the painful stab in his chest growing every second. "I failed you, little one… I can't give you back what he took from you, that cannot be restored, but I can give you my braids, as a mark of my deep shame for not keeping you safe, as I should have" he said solemnly, face grave and eyes dark.

Alarmed Bluebell reach fast for the hand holding the dagger that was about to cut off his beautiful hair, the strands holding the long braids with the shiny beads of silver with the blue topaz; her smaller hand took away the knife and then she grabbed his face in them, her honey brown eyes meeting those that resemble the gemstone of his beads.

"Please don't" she whispered eyes wide with unshed tears.

Bell knew what cutting the hair for a Dwarf was, what it meant, and she just couldn't fathom why he would expose himself to the shame and disgrace that it entails just because of her, it didn't make sense and she didn't want him to do it.

"Please… please don't cut it" her hands move of their own accord and touched his tick and soft hair, of the darkest ink she had ever seen. It was his pride she knew, he didn't have anything else but his meager possession and his hair remind him of his lost family, of his home. "I love your hair Thorin, it's part of what makes you, you, please don't cut it off not on my account"

"How could I not?" he mutters painfully, resting his forehead against her delicately so as not to hurt her more than she was right now. "I deserve this shame for not being there when that bastard hurt you and took that special gift from you so forcefully"

"Oh, my precious Dwarf" Bell sighs softly finally understanding that he thought she was violated completely, the mere thought of it make her shuttered in disgust and fear, but that was not the reality of the situation and she had to make him see reason. "He didn't… I was not…" Biting her lip at the feeling of the red blush coloring her pale cheeks, it was embarrassing and intimate to say but it needed to be done. She couldn't keep him thinking the worst. "I'm still a vir-virgin" the stammered couldn't be helped but it was done, not feeling like she could see him eye to eye at the moment, she hid her face in his chest feeling exhausted but undoubtedly safe.

Loved.

Thorin just hugged her to him, taking comfort in her warmth and presence, he wanted to keep talking and make sure she was fine and unharmed beside the bruises and scratch visible on her skin but he let it go for the moment; not wanting to force her to share more if she wasn't feeling up to it.

But he would make sure that nothing else happen to his dear Ghivashel, and if anyone dare to put another finger on his sweet lass he would make them regret it.

Painfully.

For now, however he just let her recover a bit in his lap before going on their way to Hobbiton, back to her family and home, back to tranquility and normalcy.

Back where she was safe and sound, with him at her side.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is! I hope you guys liked it and comment about it to me! :D So sorry again for the delay but it was really something unfortunate, I'll try for it to not to happen again.
> 
> So far the next chapter will be next Saturday or Sunday, if nothing like this week happen again that is... :v
> 
> Translation:  
> Khuzdul-Enlgish:  
> Ghivashel – treasure of all treasures Kidhuzurâl – golden on


	6. Of The Fell Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... Okay please don't kill me! D':
> 
> Here is the six chapter, and I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to publish until now but real life is the biggest bitch there is, and well I've been busy studying and I'm soon to move to a new house with my mom and well, I will not have internet for a time, so I don't know when I be able to update the next chapter... So I hope you do enjoy this one!
> 
> Still looking for a Betareader tho!
> 
> DECLAIMER: I own nothing, that would be Peter Jackson and J. R. R. Tolkien.

 

Bell glanced at the flowers of the road in passing, with a distant look on her honey brown eyes and a somewhat reminiscence expression on her placid face.

It been three years since the day she was kidnaped from the Shire and Thorin Oakenshield, her always trusty and loyal to a fault Dwarven companion had went to rescue her and saved her from not only being sold like a piece of meat to the highest bidder but to be raped as well.

Since then Bluebell found that she could barely stand the touch of other people especially of the male population, being near the other Hobbits lads made her want to crawl their eyes out and hid in the darkest pit so as not to be touched or looked upon, at least it was like that for at least a year. Being that the first two months Bell didn't leave Bag-End at all and spend all the time inside her room, only accepting visits from her Mother, Father and ultimately Thorin, who stayed in Hobbiton until Spring came around, and he made sure that she was as well as could be expected before she insisted that he went back to Bree for work.

Not before making him promised to come around more often and to not cut his braids.

Even though she put on a brave face in front of her family and her dear Dwarf, when he left to go back to Bree, the next few months were hard, harder than what she could have expect to go out and socialize with the entirety of Hobbiton and the mases of people, without the presence of Thorin at her side to curbed somewhat the attention off her or to simply scared the others curious and noisy Hobbits that wanted to know more about her experience and eve if they were a few well meaning between them it was just too much for her to handle at all.

Even seen her closest relatives was daunting and tensed, something that saddened her Grandfather, Gerontius Took a lot.

It passed a lot of time before she was able to stand in a crowd without panicking or acting like an animal being cornered. But she managed, somehow with the help of her parents and Thorin, she came back to what she now considered normal, or at least as close to normal as possible.

She still didn't let any lad touch her, not even in the hand and she keep a respectable distanced between her and any male that wasn't a close relative of hers, except for her father and Thorin, for whatever reason. She could go out now to buy things at the market and not panic, but she was distant, she smiled and was pleasant with everyone but didn't let them come too close nor psychically nor emotionally.

The only other people she didn't have problems interacting with were the children.

At this moment Bell was coming back from the house of her Grandfather because she was visiting her Grandmother Adamanta Took nee Chubb, when the first snowflake started to fall from the sky in a clear sign that winter was coming early that year.

Now at age thirty it was expected to look forward to their coming of age party that would be at thirty-three and subsequent possible search for a husband but giving the circumstances, Bluebell didn't want anything to do with it at all… at least not with them.

She didn't find any Hobbit lad interesting or attractive. Her tasted and interest lay elsewhere it appeared.

In a tall and sturdy Dwarven blacksmith.

Bluebell wasn't sure when it had happened, or how it had happened she wasn't even sure how to word the things she felt when Thorin Oakensheld was around. Only that it was a warm and soft feeling that made her want to be wrapped around his arms and against his body and only enjoy his presence as long as she could.

She knew she felt safe and care for when he was with her, it had always been like that since Bell could remembered. His presence was soothing for her.

Bluebell knew she love him… she just didn't know if she was  _in love_  with him.

But every time that any Hobbit lad show a modicum of interest in a possible courting, she measured him up to Thorin Oakenshield… and naturally he ended up coming short tremendously. Either he was too short, too soft or too proper for her tasted. And so, she stopped even considering them in passing and turn her attention to her training with her dagger and growing vegetables and flowers, to cooking and learning to knit and sew properly, even to manage the state of her father and all she had to know so that when she succeeds her father Bell would know what to do and how to proceed.

Her mother had started to taught her the bow too, when there was time between all the others activities that filled her day. She was determined to never be in a defenseless position ever again. And thankfully she had improved in both weapons, one of it her Dwarf was training her in and he promised to show her how to wield a sword in the future, after she was of age.

Sighing Bell turned to continue her walk to Bag-End, wondering when she would be able to see her dear Master Dwarf again; but knowing that it would probably be after winter pass, but it still was too far away for her taste because she wanted him here in Hobbiton with her at all times it seems.

But it couldn't be helped, she supposed, entering her home and depositing the goods her Grandma had given her to take back home a bit dejectedly, before checking around the kitchen to start preparing some dished for the oncoming dinner and at the same time lost herself in her own thoughts of beautiful blue eyes Thorin Oakenshield and of what could become of them.

And it was like that that Belladonna found her precious Daughter a few hours later, finishing cooking with a lost look on her pretty face, one that generally she adopted when thinking of certain blacksmith of theirs. Hiding a grin, the older of the two Hobbits decided that keeping quiet about it wasn't going to solve anything between the couple if they kept dancing around each other as they been doing since a few years ago.

It was time of an intervention.

"So how it went with Mother and Father?" she asked, standing by her side and taking a few dishes to started the cleaning for her, but keeping an eye on the younger female.

"Mama! You scared me!" Bell almost dropped the spoon she had been holding at the sudden appearance of her mother. "It went well, Grandpa wasn't there though, so I only had luncheon with Grandma and some of my other Tooks cousins" she informed putting the last touches on the dishes to be served later that day.

"That is good to known" Belladonna nodded genuine happy for her, but her goal was something else, and so feigning nonchalance she asked. "Have you received word of Thorin yet?"

Visibly deflating Bell shook her head, shoulders dropping, and glace lost in the window looking to all but herself like a lovesick woman pinning for her lover.

"None, Mama" she responded sitting in the table with a cup of tea and some biscuit with strawberry jam.

"Oh, that is a shame, but it is to be expected seen as is starting Winter and this time of the year is harder to send letters even for the ravens" she commented, taking some lemon cookies and her own tea to the table, before adding with a secretive smiled. "But this time next year is not going to be a problem I'm sure"

"Why do you say that Mama?" Bluebell wondered aloud, looking from the tea to her mother with an adorable confusion on her round and pretty face.

"Why obviously if he is living in the Shire is going to be much easier to send letters and such don't you think?" the response to that was immediately, her Daughter jump from the chair across the table and ran to her side, eyes wide and hopeful.

"Honestly? You're serious?" her breath was coming in short and her heart beating so fast that it was starting to be painful, but none of that was important given the nature of the question and it subsequent answer. "Is he… is he going to be moving to Hobbiton?"

"That is the plan, sweetheart, at least for half the year" she added, taking a sip of her cup, before elaborating a bit more. "Thorin talked to me last time he came asking how the town would take if he ever decided to move and live here in Hobbiton six month of the year, each year… you known to divide his time between Bree and here"

"And do you think he will do it? I mean… coming to live here for half the year?" Bell asked, unsure but really wishing that it happened, it wasn't ideal seen as she wanted him there all the year around but she would take what was being offered and not complain, two seasons were good as it were.

"I think he wouldn't have ask if he wasn't already convinced to do it, he just was making sure that we Hobbits would be alright with his plans, and of course I told him that I would speak with my Father the Thain, so as the Smial where the forge is would be available to him to live in when he return next time he visit and he could give the 'go ahead' sign" Belladonna was grinning openly by the time she stopped telling her the news, a smile that was matched by the brightness of her Daughter's.

"That's… that's... that's wonderful Mama! Oh! Can you imagine? Master Thorin living here in the Shire and seeing him everyday for six months…" Bell sigh contently, feeling a warm and bubbly sensation on her stomach only thinking about the future interactions with the handsome and proud Dwarf. Her friend and most important person living near her.

It was a dream come true.

"Yes, it would be good to all of us, I'm sure" she smiled indulgently to her young girl, confirming without the actual words of her Daughter's feelings for the Dwarven smith. "I know we all will make him feel welcome here, and I'm happy that this news had lift your spirit my dear" with a caring grin, Belladonna stood up and give her a warm hug before adding softly in her ear. "And when you're both ready… I just wanted to you know that your Father and I approve"

Looking at her Daughter's confuse and then flushed face, she turned around chuckling with amusement she went to find her husband and informed him of the news.

Watching her Mother walking out of the kitchen with red cheeks, Bluebell let herself squealed in happiness and elation, feeling that warmness running through her blood and body at the thought of her beloved Dwarven companion moving semi-permanently to the Shire; it was wonderful news, she decided with a big smiled and a content sigh.

Bell look again outside the window to see snowflakes falling steadily to the ground and knew that she was happy of how things were turning up to be.

But that soon would change… and not for the better.

 

******Break******

 

The storm of snow that hit The Shire a few weeks later was unexpected.

It caught the Hobbits by surprise and because of it they weren't as prepare as the other winters for the cold and snow that was falling constantly without stopping at all. At first no one was too preoccupied by the weather, thinking that it would soon pass as the others before it did. So, they didn't really withhold eat their usual share of the food in their homes.

Neither expected the blizzard to last so long or the others that keep coming after that one, barely leaving them time to sort other things out like moving their animals to shelter and to prepare better their Smials to withstand the apparent brutal winter that they were facing this time.

The reserves that they had manage to build leading to the winter was holding them for the time but by the looks of it, it would not hold forever. Not with the appetite of the Hobbits, and because of it, the smartest of them started to rationing the food they had left, just eating three meals a day. That in itself helped but it wasn't a solution to their grave problems, not at all.

Soon their older and seniors started to die, be it from the extreme cold conditions or from hunger and sickness that spread like a plague from family to family; then it went for the babies and younger children that got sick and promptly die. It got to the point that in one of the short periods of time when it wasn't snowing like mad, many consulted with the Thain in sending help to the outside to the Rangers and Elves, whoever answer.

They were going hungry and their most vulnerable were falling like flies with sickness and from hunger. And there was still the other half of the winter to go. They wouldn't last like that, and so many a raven was sent, to Bree, to the Rangers of the North and to Rivendell, in hope that help would come fast; but it won't be until winter was almost over that the true horror would set in.

Belladonna Baggins added another log to the health in hope to warm their home a bit more, but it wasn't working too well it seems; her tired eyes looked at her family and she felt hopeless in their misery and pain. Her husband, Bungo, once a hearty and chubby Hobbit was now too thin and pale, she fear that he was becoming sick like the others and that he too will soon die, but incredibly his good nature and happy nature was still there, he keep a smiled in his now gaunt face with eyes kind and full of love that made her think if only for a moment that everything was fine and the winter wasn't slowly killing them all.

And then there was her only child, Bluebell, who was almost a shadow of the vibrant Daughter that used to talk animatedly all the time, now she was quiet, pale and almost bony and considering that she had never been particularly chubby like her other pears it was incredibly worrisome, both she and Bungo were in fear for her health and life. The only think that kept them going was hope that tomorrow it would end and it all would be in the past, after all they were sure that Spring was fast approaching and Winter soon would end.

"Who want to tell a story?" Bungo said smiling tiredly sitting in his chair pilled with covers to keep from shivering with cold.

"I think is time that Bell tell us about Thorin" Belladonna smirked at her Daughter in a rare mood of cheerfulness, that these days were becoming fewer and fewer.

Instantly like it always happened whenever Thorin Oakenshield was mentioned, the young Hobbit lass perk up a bit, and a soft blush appeared in her now thin and sunken face too pale to be healthy. Both parents were relieved that at least she was well enough to colored at the mention of their Dwarven friend.

"What… what about him?" she muttered burrowing even deeper in the covers by the health. Feeling that sensation in the stomach when talking about him with anyone or thinking about him. It never failed to show.

"Well, we were wondering how much time you two will keep dancing around each other's" Bungo commented, with a teasing smiled on his face. "You know, I want Grandchildren before I go white and old"

Bluebell spluttered beyond flustered at that comment, and seeing her mother nodding along almost caused her to combust right there right that instant, at the sole thought that both her parents were apparently thinking about something like that. If something like an innocent phrase got her embarrassed she didn't know what being confronted to the possibility of having children with the strikingly handsome Dwarf would be like, and what it would require to had them.

"I… they… we" feeling tongue tide all of the sudden, she breath deep before continuing more calmly. "We are not together like that"

"But he did give you a courting gift, my dear" he pointed it out, grabbing a cup of bland tea and took a sip. "Even if you were a bit too young at the time"

"And you accepted it, Bell" Bella nodded adding another log before sitting with her husband. "Besides, all can see that he obviously cares deeply for you, dare I say, even loves you"

"I…" Bell didn't know what to say to that, feeling her heart about to burst from her chest.

"You don't have to say anything my flower, just know that whenever you are ready to take that step we both will support you" Bungo said gently, calmly.

"He is a good person, strong and dependable… he will be a good addition to this family" Belladonna added resting against his shoulder, seeking comfort from the love of her life.

Bell only flushed further, but secretly watched her parents; seeing their obvious love for each other and that with only a glace they could have an entire conversation without saying a word… that was the kind of relationship she wanted to have. Full of respect, love and understanding.

She wondered if with Thorin, she could had it… once all the bad weather and hardship pass, if better times would come, a time where they didn't go hungry and freeze to death.

They had hope that it would get better in the next few weeks.

But it was not to be, because the very next day things would go horribly wrong…

When the wolves and Goblins enter Hobbiton.

The alarm sounded in the middle of the day, alerting everyone that trouble was coming, as soon as they heard it Belladonna and Bell grabbed their weapons and coats and prepared to go out to face whatever danger was coming for them, however Bungo didn't wanted to stay behind while his wife and Daughter went into the unknow and he too grabbed a weapon even if he really didn't known how to used it.

With a look of fear and uncertainty they hugged each other in silence and turned to the door, walking into the snow that almost swallow them because of how high it was. They were grateful however that there wasn't any snowstorm raging at the moment.

They meet another group of Hobbits outside, all with some type of weapon of kitchen wear, trembling cold in the freezing snow and breeze, gaunt and thin but with enough determination to protect their family at all cost.

They didn't expect a pack of savage wolves and a few Goblins to round the nearest hill and attack them; it took them by surprised and many weren't prepared to defend themselves, falling prey to the starving animals. It rapidly became a blur of shapes and clashing of metal against metal, screams filling the once quiet day. It was becoming rapidly a butchering, being that both sides were weak and half mad with hunger and counting that the Hobbits besides Belladonna and Bell were the only ones to know how to used their weapons of the thirty Hobbits facing the beast, it wasn't looking up good to either party.

Just when they thought that they had the victory over the monsters another bunch of bloodthirsty wolves appear and attacked them.

Tired, bloodied and hungry the Hobbits didn't had the strength to kept up the fight for too long, leaving both females of the Baggins family at the front of the skirmish closely followed by Bungo and a few of the Took and Brandybuck family members.

Inspired by the brave females the others grabbed their meager weapons and stood facing the new threat with as much courage as they could get. But it wasn't until they were almost finishing the skirmish that it happened.

A scream was heard and blood was spill in the once white snow now tainted with the others.

And then another one, more pronounced and panicked. Bell didn't know from which the shout came until she saw her mother getting running to her father.

Only then realize that the one screaming was her.

 

******Break******

 

Thorin rod well into the night of the weak snowstorm, feeling a weight settling down on his stomach very much like last time when his Bell had been in danger.

He had been visiting his friend and ally, Lord Elrond at Rivendell for a few weeks, even thou he didn't intended to spend the Winter their situations had been pressing by weather and in the end, it was safest for him to stay then to leaved back to Bree.

In was nearing the end of the uncommon cold winter when it happened.

Thorin had been talking quiet amicably with his host and Arwen, Elrond's only Daughter, when he felt a stab of pain in his chest, taking him y surprise the cup of tea he had been drinking slip in fingers and tumble-down shattering into the marble floor.

"Are you well, Prince Thorin?" Arwen asked, looking slightly concerned with the blank look the Dwarven Prince sported in that moment, before it change to alarm.

"I… I need to go. Now" Was all the he could say, feeling like someone had punch him in the stomach with a hammer. He didn't exactly know how he knew that something had happened to Bell, but his instinct was screaming at him to move and go to her side right that instant.

"Is anything that I can do to aid you?" Elrond asked, sensing the urgency in him, and he too having a feeling that something was wrong.

"I-" He stopped for a second, knowing he couldn't be able to ride into the road with so much snow without getting lost in his way, and felt he could lose more time. "If it all the same to you My Lord Elrond, would you be willing to part with a few of your men to escort me to The Shire? I got a feeling that I need to be there as soon as possible"

"The Shire?" the Elf Lord lift his eyebrows curiously but quickly nodded and lead the way to the place where they kept their horses, not without giving orders to his Daughter to inform some of his warriors and some skilled healers to prepare to a prompt journey and to get rations and warm supplies for the travel.

In no time at all, a small party of Elves were mounting their horses armed to their teeth, and with supplies to last a month if needed be. Between them was his own Daughter, Arwen, who had very vehemently told him that she needed to go, even if her Father wasn't happy about it he let her do as she pleased. Thorin himself was mounting a small horse but a horse nonetheless, in those circumstances he couldn't slowdown the party with a slow pony.

With a nod to his host and friend, he and the rest of the Elves turned around and march galloping into the bright sunlight of the last days of Winter, hoping beyond hope that he could get to her in time.

 

******Break******

 

Bluebell stared into the flames of the fired of the hearth with a blank expression on her pale and gaunt face, shuddering at the mere thought of what had happened two weeks ago.

The carnage… the blood… the screams…

It was all so overwhelming, not adding to the thought that she had killed a living thing, felling its life like it was nothing… and then… then there was her father… her poor kind father. Forcing her mind from going down that road, she turned to the kitchen and prepared what little food they had left to make a bleak soup.

To think that a few days ago they were contemplating better things to come, and now everything looked to be worse then what they could imagine, and since then, the attack that is, a group of Hobbits patrol Hobbiton daily to ward off any attempts of attacks of other creatures, when it wasn't snowing that is. Even if the storms were mostly gone and the weather was becoming less and less violent and more inclined to Spring than the brutal winter it had been.

She was serving the soup in to a bowl to take to her exhausted Mother, when she heard sounds coming from the front of their Smial, thinking it was the team on patrol that came to warn them of another on coming attack, she grabbed the dagger now on her hip all the time and one of the kitchen knife no willing to let harm come to those she loved ever again from those foul beast and bracing for a battle she opened the door running out with fierce will of slaying anything in her path.

But then the scene in front of her left her frozen in place, all the rage and burning anger that had previously fueled her bravado vanish like it was never there in the first place.

Because in front of her was one of the most important persons in her life, one that she had preyed to see one las time.

Her very own hero of carved stone.

 

******Break******

 

They made the trip to The Shire in two weeks' time only stopping to feed their horses and let them rest for half an hour before keeping to their breakneck pace of galloping through the snowed terrain, it was exhausting at lest for him, seen as Elves tired less than the other races and they were so light in their steps that they could walk over the snow. So really the stops were mostly to his benefit and the horses.

And in all that time, he cursed his luck and wonder why Mahal and all the others Valars wanted to put him through more turmoil and heartache than he could possibly handle. If something has happened to Bluebell… he didn't know if he could continue as before, moving around from town to town until the end of his days, because he long ago lost the hope to return home, to Erebor and see his family.

No, to his greatest surprise and against his best sense, he had gotten attached to the small family of Hobbits specially their Daughter, and to the small town that was Hobbiton, so much he had contemplate to move there half of the year, after all his apprentice at Bree was well and truly capable to handle the forge without his person being there, it had been time to move on, and The Shire had look promising, beside the added bonus to been closer to those he had bonded with, and to his own ray of sunshine.

Now it all could be shattered depending on what he encountered when he gotten to Hobbiton, and he would be left to roam Varda for the end of his miserable life knowing that he had lost another home, and not being capable of doing anything to help it.

It burned deep into his soul.

But then, finally for what looked to him as if it were months they arrive at the borders leading to Hobbiton, and they spur their mounts even faster to reach Bag-End, and from there the center of the town if needed be.

They didn't plan to encounter a small group of Hobbits with poor weapons more apt to the kitchen than to a battlefield, looking gaunt and almost dead, it was such a change from the usually jolly and merry people than it shocked him into silence for a moment, until one of them appear to have recognize him.

"Master Oakenshield!" a small Hobbit lass a bit older than Bell for over ten years called to him, making room between her group to the front of the line.

He looked at her for a moment trying to place her appearance to a name of a person he could recognize, looking more closely he almost fell from the horse beneath him when recognition strike him. The long ginger red curls once lustrous and vibrant were dim, and lank, the skin once a healthy pale looked paper-thin and wan, not counting on the alarming weight loss suffered to the once full figure of the Hobbit lass, and all that were with her.

It was alarming and disheartening to say the least, considering that most probably all The Shire could be just like that… or worse.

"Miss Brandybuck, was it?" he asked, even though he knew he had finally placed her name to the face of such a changed lass.

"Yes, Poppy Brandybuck" she nodded, smiling slightly in a tired face. "I… do you mind if I ask about your company?" she looked at the Elves with caution, never quiet lowering the long knife in her hand.

"This are Elves from Rivendell, they are accompanying me from their Halls for order of his liege, Lord Elrond" He signaled to the group and they bow with a fist to their chest at the same time.

"They are from Rivendell?" She said in awe and what could only be relief, before composing herself as fast as she could. "Then does that mean that the Elves are here to help us? We do what we can but we are not warriors, and our people are sick and… and hungry… the wolf and goblins… we just-" she had to stop before she broke down with all the emotions contained all that time.

"Tell me everything" Thorin demanded, dismounted with Arwen, who was directing orders to all they entourage about what he assume was the medicine they bought and to leave a small party to watch the surrounding for any threat.

"They came out of nowhere, a pack of wild wolf and goblins, we could barely amass a small party of Hobbits to fight what was coming, but we were already weakened by the famine and sickness" her once bright green emerald eyes were opaque, tired as were all the rest of her. The vibrancy was gone. "We… lost so many of us to that skirmish that didn't die of hunger or sickness, and… well the one's that were hurt in the battle… they aren't faring well…"

Thorin felt like someone had hit him with a club in the stomach at those news, the number of people that must had die during that brutal winter, it was incredible. But that only made him thought of the Baggins.

"What about Bungo and Belladonna? Bluebell?" he bit down his anxiety at the possible news of the family, knowing that she must have to know something seen as she was one of the few Hobbits lasses to get along with Bell on a daily basis, they were friends.

"Well…" Poppy grimace at the mention of the Baggins, her expression turning grim. "We better head there, because things aren't well with them…"

But before they could go anywhere, Arwen, Poppy and Thorin instructed the remaining Elves with their medicine and the others Hobbits there to gather at the Thain Smial to see to the hurt and to plan any other action that needed to be done to help as many as they could. They were to coordinate the rations and medicine and treat everyone.

Thorin was deep in his panicked thoughts half listening to Arwen and Poppy talking about what had happened at Hobbiton that Winter with more detail, when a pang hit him right in the chest making him pause for a split of second in the way to the door of Bag-End, but before he could even compose himself, a body shorter than his connected with him and almost send him to the ground. But he didn't have to worry about it, but even if his brain was slow to react his body had already recognized the small body in his arms.

"Bell" he whispered, grapping his arms around her too thin body, feeling her tremble with her face hidden in his chest. "Ghivashel… Amralime" he muttered under his breath, not even knowing what was coming out of his mouth only knowing that she was safe and sound, and in his embrace.

"Thorin… Thorin…" she couldn't stop repeating his name, like it was a mantra and it would make all the bad things go away. Her safe blanket, her hero and friend.

If he was there everything would be fine, Bell thought, her arms holding into his bigger and steady figure with all the meager strength she could muster.

 

******Break******

 

Thorin sigh slowly, his mind still trying to adapt to all that had happened in the last few hours. From the bad condition of Bungo Baggins injury to the famine that the entire Hobbiton was going through. It was all worse than he had believe, but at least they were alive.

Arwen was in that moment at the Thain's Halls, organizing everything and planning to send a massage to her father for more provisions and medicine to be send from Imladris as swift as possible, meanwhile the food they brought with them was being distributed equally to each Hobbit family, while the healers had check over every sick people in Hobbiton and providing medicine if needed.

Now well into the night, he found himself seated in the lounge room in front of the blazing fire with Bluebell snuggled to his side in an exhausted sleep, while Belladonna was tending to Bungo in their room.

Turning his gaze from the fire to the Hobbit lass beside him, he studied her with care, finding the changes not to his liking. Her pale skin was too sickly, her bouncy brown curls were lank and without shine, her usually beautiful round body that showed her wealth was too thin and looking gaunt with sharp angles were before only soft spot were found, and then there were the dark circles around her eyes, she was consuming herself and that make him feel sick and worry beyond belief.

She had barely been far from his side since his arrival that morning to The Shire.

"It's been hard" Belladonna said, sitting in front of them with a tired and sad demeanor something that he never had seen before in her usually cheerful visage.

"So I have been told" he nodded, before adjusting slightly when Bell whimper slightly in her dreams, to calm her with his presence and body heath, which worked efficiently. When turning to look at her again to continue the conversation once his Ghivashel was settle, he startled at seeing Bella with a smirk in her mouth.

"She has miss you" she commented instead, looking with a soft gaze at her Daughter. "One of the only happy times around here during the Winter was when your name came around in a conversation"

"I have miss her too" was all he could say, not knowing how to continue the conversation with all the things running through his mind and about the possible outcome of the future.

He only hoped that with the help of the Elves they could saves as much Hobbits as they could.

But for the time begin they could only wait to see what morning would bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have like it so far my dear readers, and I'm so glad that so many people have leave kudos, follow and post your comments... it makes me happy that you guys like what my imagination and writing came up with... Thank you to all of you!

**Author's Note:**

> Translation Kuzdul-English:  
> Nadith- Little Sister  
> Namad/Nadad- sister/brother


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